Skyrim: The Thief
by Delorean7
Summary: Talon Nightshade isn't your average thief. He has witnessed terrible sights, lost loved ones and done unspeakable things. But he must push these scarring thoughts aside as he faces a seemingly impossible challenge. And if he fails, all of Nirn will pay the price.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Prologue

Noster Eagle-Eye leaned against his regular post as the cold night air scratched at his exposed skin, his only rags not providing the insulation needed. Letting out a disgruntled sigh, he watched as his breath was revealed right in front of him, almost like a dragon's smoke. This was normal though, ever since he'd started living on the streets, he'd gotten accustomed with the harsh downsides of having no roof over your head. But the sound of the main gate opening caught his attention, making him forget about the weather for a couple of seconds. Looking towards the gate, he watched as a figure entered, shrouded in a black cloak, their head covered by a hood of the same darkness. Once the stranger had closed the gate, he started making his way towards The Winking Skeever. However, before he reached the front door, Noster let out a small cough, causing the stranger's head to quickly turn to face him. Both worried and confused, Noster watched as the stranger made his way over to him, taking great strides as the sound of his boots hitting the stone ground echoed off of the walls. Stopping a few feet away from Noster, the stranger seemed to study him, looking him up and down.

"Are you okay, sir?" the stranger asked in a partially deep, male voice. Noster recognised this as the voice of a teenager.

"I'm quite alright. Aren't you a little young to be travelling on your own?" Noster asked in response, narrowing his eyes at the stranger.

"Not the last time I checked" he replied, letting out a small chuckle. Noster couldn't help but join in. As their chuckles ceased, the stranger pulled away his hood and reached in to his satchel, the sounds of metallic clinking filling Noster's ears caused his eyes to widen. With his hood down, Noster could see the facial feature of the young stranger. He was a Nord with fair black hair that covered his eyes and almost reached his shoulders. When his hand emerged, the stranger held it out in front of Noster, revealing the total of ten gold septims.

"Take it. You need it more than I do" the stranger explained, allowing Noster to take it from his grasp. Glancing up from the gold in his hands, Noster had an expression of pure amazement plastered on his face.

"Well…thank you. Everybody else only gives me one gold piece," Noster explained, a smile creeping across his lips.

"Well, I'm not everybody else" the stranger replied as he turned away, heading back towards The Winking Skeever and leaving Noster with a big smile on his face.

**- Inside The Winking Skeever -**

The stranger walked up to the bar and placed another ten gold in front of Corpulus Vinius, the owner.

"I'd like to rent a room please" the stranger asked, awaiting the owner's response.

"Of course, it's yours for a day" he replied, leading the stranger to the spare room upstairs. As they made their way through the main room, a female bard caught the stranger's attention, as he did with her. As their eyes met, the stranger gave Lisette a sneaky wink, causing her cheeks to turn red and a smile to form on her lips. He turned away as him and Corpulus started making their way upstairs. As they reached the top, Corpulus started a conversation.

"So, lad, what's your name?" he asked, trying to get some information about his latest guest.

"Just call me Talon" he replied, wanting the conversation to end as soon as possible. Arriving at the door to Talon's room, Corpulus turned to face his young guest.

"Let me know if there's anything else you need. I can issue a warning to the other patrons if you'll need some peace and quiet" he offered, turning to walk away.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be leaving in a hurry anyway" Talon replied, pulling open his door and entering his room.

"What's the hurry for?" Corpulus asked, turning back to face his guest.

"You'll see" Talon replied with a grin before closing the door.

**- The Next Morning, The Blue Palace -**

Falk Firebeard tapped his fingers impatiently as he awaited the courier's arrival, every so often glancing at the door to the palace. Jarl Siddgeir of Falkreath had sent one of his rarest circlets to Jarl Elisif's court wizard to be repaired. However, since the job had been done, Falk now had to wait for hours on end until the damned courier showed up to return it. Heading over to one of the guards, he tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to turn to face him, his face hidden by the helmet.

"Has anybody arrived for the circlet yet?" Falk asked, his tone carrying an hint of irritation.

"No, sir" the guard replied, seconds before the door to the palace creaked open, revealing a figure shrouded in a black cloak.

"Speak of the daedra" the guard said, nodding to the figure as he headed up the stone steps to the top level. Looking towards the figure, Falk walked over to him, looking him up and down for signs of a weapon, but to no avail. He looked safe, for now.

"Are you here for the circlet?" Falk asked, crossing his arms. The figure nodded, not even saying a word. Narrowing his eyes with concern, Falk reached into his coat and retrieved the circlet from underneath. It was pure ebony, encrusted with hints of sapphire. With the sunlight shining on it, it almost looked like the night sky. As Falk held it out to the figure, he took it from Falk's grasp and pulled back his hood slightly, allowing him to place it in his satchel.

"I'll be sure to deliver it on time" the figure explained, looking back up at Falk.

"Be very careful. That circlet probably costs more than you" he replied, giving the figure a serious look. However, as the figure started walking away, a man with balding black hair and wearing a royal garb passed by him and walked up to Falk.

"I'm Jarl Siddgeir's courier. He asked me to come and pick up his circlet" he explained, confusing Falk.

"You're joking, right?" Falk asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why would I joke about that?" the courier asked in response.

"Well, if your the courier, then who did I just give-" he paused, an expression of regret spreading across his face. Hurrying over to the stone steps, he noticed that the first "courier" had quickened his pace, almost like he was worried about something.

"STOP THAT THIEF!" Falk called out, making the figure jump and causing him to run for his life. However, as he approached the door to the palace, the two guards by the door blocked the exit, their swords raised and ready for combat. Counteracting, the figure leaned back and slid across the floor, causing both guards to fall on their backs. Quickly standing back up, the figure mockingly saluted Falk before heading back out of the door.

**- Outside -**

Talon's heart pounded in his chest as the sounds of clanking metal followed him out of the palace, Falk must've sent more guards after him. Craning his neck as far as he could, he saw more and more guards on his tail, calling after him and ordering him to stop. Turning back to the direction he was running, he started heading towards the courtyard of Castle Dour. Once inside the large, stone walls, the other guards were instantly alerted to his presence.

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE! STOP HIM!" one of guards called from behind him, angering him so. Desperate to not get arrested, his mind quickly thought of an idea.

"_I'll hide in the Temple of the Divines. Then, when things have cooled down, I'll go through the secret exit_" he thought, sprinting towards the doors of the temple. However, as he travelled under the arch, a whole squad of guards cut him off, forcing him to stop in his tracks. Turning around, he saw that the guards had blocked off all the other exits, trapping him in the area full of benches. His heartbeat increased as the guards slowly started to surround him, the sunlight gleaming off of each of their swords.

"You might as well surrender, thief. You're finished" one of guards said, getting excellent feedback from the other guards. Glancing around for some kind of escape route, sweat rolling down his forehead and stinging his eyes, Talon's gaze finally rested upon the walkway on the walls surrounding him. With a grin forming on his lips, he took off into a sprint and what he did next amazed the guards surrounding him. Taking a leap, he began to rebound off of the corners of the walls, using the altitude gain to get higher and higher. Until finally, he made a final leap and grabbed the edge of the walkway, painstakingly trying to drag himself up. As he reached the top, he took a moment to grin at the guards who stood below him before sprinting along the walkway, heading towards the main gate. As he ran, he grinned as he felt the adrenaline rushing through him, almost like it was cheering him on.

"_As soon as I get to ground level again, I'm home free_" he thought as he turned a corner on the walkway, only to stop in shock as he saw two guards heading straight towards him. Skidding to a halt and turning around, he started heading back the way he came, only to find two more guards heading towards him.

"_For Talos' sake_" he thought, running the opposite direction once more. Only this time, before he reached the other guards, he climbed up onto the wall of the walkway and simply dropped over the edge, landing on the roof of The Winking Skeever before clumsily sliding down the tiled roof and dropping to the stone ground. Letting out a gasp of pain, he slowly regained his footing, rubbing his ankles as a small twinge of pain shot through them. Looking back up, his eyes widened as he saw the first group of guards which he'd ditched heading straight towards him. With fear filling his soul, he turned to the main gate, taking off in a sprint once more. Suddenly, the sound of a commotion hit his eardrums, causing him to turn to the source. Lying on the ground, pinning down multiple guards, was Noster.

"What are you doing?" Talon asked as he reached the gate.

"You helped me, I'm paying you back. Now go! Hurry!" Noster replied, getting a thankful nod from the young thief as a response.

"Get off me, you drunken oaf" one of the guards ordered, shoving Noster off of him and allowing the other guards to stand up.

"Men, take aim" the same guard ordered as he saw the thief standing at the gate. Instantly, all of the guards with him pulled out their bows, retrieved and arrow each and pulled it back. Pulling open the main gate with all his might, Talon quickly slipped through the gap, second before the guard gave the final order.

"FIRE!" he called, seconds before Talon closed the gate behind him, allowing a whole barrage of arrows to ricochet off of the ancient metal. Letting out a frustrated growl, the guard turned to his fellow men.

"Half of you go after him. The other half go through the hidden entrance near the docks, he may try to escape that way" he ordered, getting multiple nods as they headed off to fulfil their duties. Turning from his men to the lowly beggar on the ground, he grabbed Noster by the scruff of his neck and lifted him to his feet.

"As for you, you're coming with me" he said, his voice turning deep and emotionless. Defeated, Noster lowered his head as he was led to The Blue Palace.

**- Outside Solitude -**

Sweat was now pouring down Talon's face as he ran down the stone path, loud clacks echoing off of the outside walls and attracting unwanted attention. To lose some weight, he threw away his cloak, revealing the armour underneath. It was all made of black leather and had short sleeves with three buckles diagonally holding it together at the front. Hearing a loud creaking noise, he turned around to see a smaller amount of guards heading out of the main gate towards him. Letting out a groan, he turned back the direction he was running. However, as he looked towards the road out of the city, he saw a horse and cart heading the same way, also taking up the whole road, he was trapped. Turning left, he started running towards Solitude Docks, passing Katla's farm in the process. Turning around again, he could see the guards catching up, causing his blood to run cold. As he made his way over the crossing above the East Empire Company Warehouse, he instantly stopped, seeing guards exiting out of the secret entrance and heading his way. Turning around, he saw that the other guards had cut him off, trapping him on the crossing. As they closed in on him, one of them stepped forward, his sword unsheathed.

"Give up while you still can, thief" he ordered, but Talon still had a final trick up his sleeve. He stepped up onto the edge of the crossing, looking down at the water below. Turning around to face the guards again, he grinned and dove over the edge, letting out and excited whoop as he did so. As the guards ran to the edge, they all watched in anger as Talon disappeared beneath the water, accompanied by a loud splash.

Opposite the Solitude Docks was a small forest, full of medium sized dead trees. Near the edge, where the water met the earth, a figure in black emerged, gasping for air. After Talon dragged himself onto land, he took a minute to catch his breath, his wet hair sticking to his forehead. Slowly standing up, he looked across the river towards Solitude, his sneaky grin appearing on his face once more. Reaching for his satchel, he opened it and retrieved the circlet, letting out a sigh of relief to see that it was unharmed. Placing it back in his satchel, he wiped the water off of his forehead and started heading away from the city, knowing he might never be able to return.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The Thieves Guild

_Snap!_

Talon groaned as yet another lockpick broke, dropping the fragments to the ground as he searched his satchel for a replacement. Another crash of thunder sounded overhead as the rain thundered down on Talon's thin armour, chilling him to the bone. With the only light source being the moon, Talon had no choice but to see with his touch, letting out a sigh of relief as he felt another lockpick right at the bottom, hidden underneath his map. He was in Riften, the so called home of the Thieves Guild, standing outside the Thane's house as he desperately tried to break in. He'd heard that an adventurer from outside the city had been newly appointed the Thane of Riften, meaning that there had to be some notable loot lying around somewhere. As he finally heard the tumbler activate, he silently cheered as the door opened, allowing him to escape from the storm and enter the warm. Gently closing it behind him, Talon looked around the room he'd entered, obviously filled with all the finest interior decorations.

"_Nice place_" he thought as he crouched down and slowly started sneaking across the floor, praying to Talos that the owner or owners didn't awaken. Looking around the corner and into the mater bedroom, Talon raised an eyebrow in confusion as he saw that the place was empty. Standing up, not to mention letting his guard down, he slowly walked over to the bedside table, his eyes widening as he gazed at the fat purse of gold on top of it.

"_Score!_" he thought as he picked up the purse and placed his satchel, swaying as the weight of it nearly brought him to his knees. Smiling to himself, he turned away and started heading for the front entrance aga-

_Thwip!_

Talon widened his eyes in fear as his world was literally turned upside-down, but once he saw his satchel fall upwards, along with the coin purse, it finally hit him: a booby trap. He looked up at the floor; his black hair now hanging upwards as his arms pathetically did the same.

"Hello? Anyone?" he called out, not caring about who would save him. Hell, he wouldn't care if a guard would cut him down. Hearing footsteps, he watched with curiosity as a pair of buckled boots stopped right in front of his face, one of which was tapping its foot. Looking up...kind of...his eyes widened as he saw a Breton female looking back at him, a seriously pissed off look brimming in her eyes.

"Umm...this isn't what it looks like" he lied hopefully, a ridiculous grin spreading across his cheeks. But he realised that his attempted were in vain as the Breton brought her foot back and launched it straight into his face.

"Wake up, damn you! I said wake up!" an angry, female voice ordered, causing Talon to stir. His blurred vision soon came into focus as he awoke, a warm liquid running from his nose, probably due to the kick. Finally awake, he looked around the colossal chamber he was in, the lower walls housing multiple beds and shelves. Looking down, he realised that he was suspended a few inches above the ground, wrapped in a cocoon made of rope. Looking back up, he saw that the rope suspending him was tied to a grate high up on the ceiling, the only thing he could see through the cracks was darkness, possibly the night sky. Looking back down, he saw the female Breton from before looking up at his suspended form with a look of anger. From a better angle, Talon could make out her feature a lot better. She had short, orange hair with black war paint surrounding her eyes, almost amplifying her anger. From the neck down, she wore armour unlike anything he'd ever seen. It was dark brown and covered in multiple buckles, it must've been hard getting it on and off. Alongside her orders, the sounds of anger and hatred echoed off of the stone walls, catching his attention. Surrounding the platform he hung over, there were multiple people wearing the same type of armour as the Breton was, except the types they wore were different colours. As the sound of footsteps drained out the booing, Talon looked past the Breton to see a man of an impressive height heading towards him, the same pissed off look plastered on his face. Once he reached the suspended criminal, he reached up and hit him straight across the face, causing him to swing back and forth uncontrollably and the crowd surrounding him to laugh and congratulate the man. He raised his hand and the room silenced once again, leaving Talon's heavy breathing as the only sound remaining. Grabbing Talon by the cheeks and forcing his head to face him, the man glared into his eyes, almost staring into his soul.

"So lad, you think you can break into my lover's house and get away Scott free?" the man asked, his voice a mixture of anger and seriousness.

"Your lover? I'm sorry, but there must be some mistake, Mr..." Talon paused, awaiting the man's response.

"Brynjolf. My name's Brynjolf" he replied, crossing his arms and putting on what looked like a smile.

"Okay, Mr. Brynjolf. As I was saying, you must be mistaken. I was breaking into the Thane's house" Talon explained, causing the orange-haired Breton to step forward.

"I AM the Thane. AND his lover" she stated, causing Talon's eyes to widen at this realisation.

"You? You're the Thane?" he asked, his heart pounding due to the horrible mistake he'd made.

"I am Marieka, Thane of Riften and Member of the Thieves Guild" Marieka acquainted, making her presence known with authority.

"So, you're the infamous Thieves Guild?" Talon asked with a grin, finally realising where he was.

"That we are, lad. And you made the mistake of stealing from us" Brynjolf replied, his voice turning serious once again.

"Wait, you're going to punish ME for stealing? Isn't that what your entire Guild is based upon? The clue is in the name" Talon pondered, his face contorted into a look of confusion.

"Didn't you hear me, lad? You made the mistake of stealing from US. Nobody steals stuff back without paying a price" Brynjolf informed, narrowing his eyebrows.

"So, what are you going to do to me?" Talon asked, scared, but holding his nerve.

"Me and the other Guild Members will decide your fate. Until then, you won't be going anywhere" Brynjolf answered, turning to walk away alongside Marieka.

"So, what? You're just going to leave me here all day?" Talon asked in an insulted tone, struggling in the cocoon with all his might.

"Pretty much. You can just...hang around for while" Marieka replied jokingly, causing the cistern's inhabitants to laugh once more. Letting out an irritated breath of air and blowing his hair up for a second, Talon ceased his senseless struggle.

"_Perfect. I'm only in town for less than a day and the Thieves Guild are already laughing at me_" he thought, closing his eyes in defeat as he gently swung back and forth.

**- Later -**

Throughout that entire day, the Guild went about their business as if they'd forgotten all about the outlaw suspended in the centre of the reservoir. Talon hadn't completely hated his imprisonment, he'd invented a new game: Count the water droplets as they fall down from the ceiling. He'd given up once he'd lost count after 136. But as for now, he just hung there, his eyes closed as he tried to get the slightest hint of sleep. However, he awoke as the sound of footsteps hit his ears once more. Only this time, a new face stopped to greet him. She was young, either Talon's age or younger. Just like Marieka, she wore what he now knew was the trademark armour of the Thieves Guild. Her hair was brown with grey tips, tied into a long braid that reached down past her waist. And she had a face that could only be described as stunning, Talon thought so anyway. In her hands, she held a wooden tray, containing a small piece of bread and a flagon, its contents unknown. Placing the tray on the ground, she retrieved the piece of bread and held it up to Talon's mouth, allowing him to take a bite. Once he'd swallowed, the girl reached down to the tray once more, placed the remaining bread upon it and picked up the flagon, bringing it to his lips and tilting it back. Talon savoured each gulp of the precious water, enjoying the first drink he'd had in hours. As the girl brought the drink away, Talon gasped for air and licked his lips, taking in deep breaths as he gazed at the mysterious young woman. Placing the flagon back on the tray, the girl looked up at Talon with crossed arms, but with a look of concern.

"Better?" she asked, even her voice sounded heavenly.

"Much. Thank you" Talon thanked, nodding appreciatively, causing a grin to spread across his acquaintance's lips. However, her grin disappeared as she noticed the dried trail of blood staining Talon's lips. Licking her thumb, she reached up and started rubbing at the crimson trail, smiling as it started to break away. As soon as his face was clean, the girl took away her thumb, rubbing the last of the saliva off on her armour.

"You're welcome. So, you really tried to steal from Marieka?" she asked, crossing her arms once more and raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"I didn't know she was with the Thieves Guild. If I had known, I wouldn't have gone anywhere near her house" Talon retaliated, trying to sound as tough as possible. The girl couldn't help but roll her eyes at his effort.

"She became Thane way before joining the Guild, don't ask me why. Since then, her and Brynjolf have been very close. They're expecting a baby soon" she explained, making Talon smile.

"Give them my blessing," he requested, genuinely happy that, even with a war going on, love still prospered in Skyrim.

"I will, prisoner. That reminds me, you still haven't told me your name," the girl reminded, confusing Talon.

"I didn't think it mattered" Talon replied, shaking his hair out of the way as it fell over his eyes.

"Maybe not to them, but I'm a people person " the girl replied, grinning smugly.

"I'm Talon Nightshade. And you are?" he asked, smiling back with his trademark grin.

"Ailios. Pleasure to meet you, Talon" she replied, picking up the tray and walking the opposite direction. Unnoticed by her, as she walked, Talon couldn't help but stare at her derrière as it shook left and right with each step. Realising what he was doing, Talon mentally kicked himself and averted his gaze.

"_Control yourself, Talon_," he thought to himself, shivering at the thought of his previous action.

**- Much later -**

"_...45...46...47...48..._" Talon thought as he had another try at the game he'd invented, his eyes dancing around the Cistern as he scanned it for leaks. However, he lost his focus (and almost his bladder control) as Brynjolf approached once more, pursued by Marieka and yet another new face. She wore a dark set of the Thieves Guild armour, minus the hood. And had long, blonde hair that reached her shoulders. And, judging by her expression, she wasn't happy either. Once Brynjolf stopped right in front of him, he drew a blade from his belt, causing Talon to gasp in shock, fearing what could happen next. Holding the dagger to eye level, Brynjolf moved in close, inches away from Talon's face, his teeth gritted and his eyebrows narrowed.

"Lad, I'm about to do something I never thought I have to do" Brynjolf growled, causing Talon to close his eyes. With his heart pounding in his chest, on the verge of bursting forth, Talon waited for the fatal blow.

He waited...

...and waited...

...and waited...

...until finally, Brynjolf said the words he'd never been happier to hear.

"Vex, cut him down," he ordered, handing the dagger to the blonde-haired thief. Obliging, she took it from his grasp and headed behind the suspended criminal. Talon's heart warmed up as he felt his hands coming loose, until finally, the rope fell to the floor, Talon followed behind it. Regaining his footing, he looked up at Brynjolf, his mind still trying to work out what was happening.

"Is there a reason why you're letting me go? You ARE letting me go, right?" he asked nervously, causing a chuckle to emit from Brynjolf's throat.

"I am, lad. I was just testing you" he replied, confusing Talon even further.

"Testing me? How?" he asked again, brushing dust off of his shoulders as did so.

"By seeing if you could look death in face no matter what. If you'd freed yourself and tried to make a run for it, I would've know that you were a coward who'd try anything to keep on breathing. But since you stayed put, I know now that you're braver than the average thief" Brynjolf explained, surprising Talon, who's eyes widened at the sound of this.

"So, why were you testing me in the first place?" he asked, crossing his arms curiously.

"Because we have an offer for you. How would you like to join the Thieves Guild?" Brynjolf asked, making Talon's heart skip a beat.

"Are...are you serious?" he asked, his grin now spreading across his lips once more. Brynjolf responded with a solemn nod, right before Marieka stepped forward and placed a hand on Talon's shoulder.

"After you tried breaking into my house, I noticed that you'd only set off one of the booby traps. If you're good enough to get past them, you're good enough to join the Guild" she explained, a similar smile now on her lips.

"Well, the first two were easy. I saw them coming" Talon boasted, trying to sound as sophisticated as possible.

"_There were THREE booby traps?_" he thought as he did so. Stepping back, Marieka allowed Brynjolf to step forward again. But before he could say anything, Talon interrupted.

"Wow. I-I don't know what to say," he stammered, still in complete shock from Brynjolf's offer.

"Tell me, lad? Do you have a family?" he asked, causing Talon's smile to fade slightly.

"No. Not anymore" he replied, looking down at the ground depressingly.

"Well, if you join up, we could be your new family. Everybody here could" Brynjolf explained holding his arms apart to gesture around the Cistern. Looking around, Talon smiled at all the different people looking back at him, all with hopeful smiles on their faces.

"It's your choice, lad" Brynjolf reminded, awaiting his reply. As he finished scanning the chamber, Talon let out a sigh of sadness, looking from the ground to Brynjolf.

"I'm sorry, Brynjolf. But, I can't accept your offer. I steal solo," Talon answered, expecting Brynjolf to get all upset and disappointed. But to his surprise, a smile remained on Brynjolf's face, not even moving.

"I understand. You're a lone wolf, we can respect that" he replied, nodding understandingly.  
"So, am I free to go?" Talon asked, rubbing his arm nervously.

"Of course. Ailios, show him the secret exit" Brynjolf instructed, causing the Guild's youngest member to step forward.

"This way" she said, gesturing to a ladder hidden in a darkened alley. However, before he could get very far, a hand grasping his shoulder stopped him. Confused, he turned, coming face to face with Marieka.

"Here, we took these off you before we tied you up" she explained, holding out her left hand. In her grasp was a dagger, Talon's dagger. Smiling, Talon took the dagger and put it back in his belt, allowing Marieka to hold up her other arm, this one however held his satchel. Taking it off her, he placed it over his shoulder; happy to feel it's weight again. No sooner had he done so, Brynjolf walked over and stood beside Marieka, placing his arm around her shoulder.

"Remember what I said, lad. You're a lone wolf. But, if you ever need a place to stay, your pack will be here waiting for you. Always" he said, whilst Marieka put her head on his shoulder lovingly.

"Don't worry, I'll be back" Talon replied, smiling at the happy couple.

"You better be. We don't want to be attending your funeral any time soon" Marieka mentioned, causing Talon to chuckle.

"Hey, prisoner. You coming?" Ailios asked from in front of the ladder, her voice echoing off of the stone walls.

"Thank you, Brynjolf" Talon finished, giving him a salute as he walked away. With his free hand, Brynjolf saluted back. Following Ailios up the ladder, he emerged in a darkened room, the only light source being a torch on the wall. Attached to the wall, aside the torch, was a metal handle. As Ailios pulled it, the roof seemed to slide back, allowing a huge burst of fresh air to hit Talon's senses. Walking up the steps, Talon realised that he'd emerged in the graveyard, right in front of a coffin. Turning back to face Ailios, they both stood in silence for a short amount of time. But soon enough, Talon broke it.

"Well, it was nice meeting you. Thanks for the food" he bid farewell, holding out his hand. Smiling, Ailios reached out and shook his hand, letting it flop to his side soon afterwards.

"No problem. Good luck out there. Where are you heading now anyway?" she asked, curious about his next adventure.

"No idea. I'm just heading wherever there's something to steal" Talon replied, looking up as a couple of birds flew overhead, chirping happily.

"Sounds fun" Ailios commented, catching Talon's attention again.

"Well, I better go. See you around" he bid farewell once more, turning and walking away. Then, out of nowhere, Ailios' voice hit his eardrums once more.

"Hey, prisoner. If you ever help with a heist or something, come find me. We could really piss off some guards," she suggested, calling him by his new nickname. Turning back to face her, still sporting his trademark grin, he responded with gusto.

"Sure, I'd like that" he responded, giving her a salute as he walked away, pulling his map out of his satchel as he looked for a new destination to travel to. Giggling, Ailios watched Talon walk away until he disappeared out of sight. Sighing, she headed back down the stone steps and pulled the handle, once again concealing the entrance.

**A/N: Some of the characters in this story are OC's created by people who read this on deviantART:**

**Marieka – created by massivelyattacked**

**Ailios – created by iGaMzEeX**

**I'll update soon. Laters.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – How to steal with style

The snow fell softly on the earth as the harsh weather continued to freeze the land. The tops of the trees were speckled with white, the lakes almost frozen into icy sheets and the only source if life being the figure making his way down the cobblestone path. Due to his thin armour, Talon was easy prey to the wind's cold bite, turning his skin pale and his hair white as it captured many of the white crystals caught in the winds grip. Seeing a light in the distance, Talon smiled as a Khajiit camp came into view. And just past it, his destination: Dawnstar. It was the closest town for miles and he'd been travelling for hours. He could either stay here or take his chances in the badlands. Heading over to the camp, he saw a female Khajiit sitting cross-legged just outside her tent, her fur a shade of dark brown and dressed in fine clothing. Noticing his presence, the Khajiit smiled as he knelt down to eye level.

"Greetings, young one. How may Ahkari assist you today?" she asked kindly, bringing Talon to put on his trademark grin.

"I'm looking for a place to stay. Is there an inn nearby?" he asked, blowing into his hands to try and warm himself.

"Just down there on the right, it's called the Windpeak Inn. You can't miss it," she explained, pointing to the path that lead to the highest point of the town.

"Thank you" Talon thanked, standing back up and heading the direction she'd pointed. Sure enough, there was an inn right next to him, the signs swinging on its hinges as it was hit by the wind. Heading up the wooden steps, whilst doing his best to avoid the drunk, he made his way inside, forcing the door shut, as the wind seemed to fight back. Turning around, he smiled as the warmth of the fire spread through his body, expelling the cold it was a cosy, little place with plenty of people jostling around, enjoying themselves. Heading over to the bar, Talon sat down at the stool, attracting the attention of the owner, Thoring.  
"Need anything, kid? Food? Drink?" he asked, trying to help in anyway he could.

"Just a room, please" Talon replied, reaching into his satchel and placing ten gold on the bar.

"Of course, the one on the left, it's yours for a day" Thoring replied, placing the coin under the counter.

"Now that you mention it, any mead?" he Talon asked expectantly.

"Of course, that'll be fourteen gold" Thoring replied, reaching under the counter once more and placing the bottle in front of him, holding out his other hand patiently. Talon obliged and placed the required gold into the owner's grasp. Pulling out the cork, Talon took a swig, smiling as the warm, honey-tasting liquid warmed him up even more.

"So, looks like you have a lot of business" Talon observed, glancing around at the many patrons.

"Don't expect it to last, most of these people are only here for the Festival of Falling Stars" Thoring replied, causing Talon to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Falling Stars? What's that?" he asked, just before he took another swig of mead, wiping his mouth on his arm.

"During the first era, the first group of settlers found this land and started building huts. But, later that night, one of them was awoken by sounds coming from the sky. And when they went to see what it was, they looked up to see thousands of stars shooting across the sky. The sight was so amazing, they all stayed up to watch it until dawn" Thoring reminisced, astounding Talon.

"Is that how Dawnstar got it's name?" he asked, intrigued by the tale.

"Of course. And now, every year, on that same day, at that same time, the stars return to Dawnstar. Nobody knows where they first came from or why they return, but they only ever seem to appear above Dawnstar, nowhere else" Thoring continued, emphasising the mysteriousness of the event.

"Sounds amazing. What happens at the Festival?" Talon asked, starting to get interested. Reaching under the counter, Thoring retrieved a separate bottle of mead and placed it on the counter, pulling out the cork as he did so. He held the bottle to his lips and took a swig, placing it in front of Talon's bottle.

"Well, it starts out with a big celebration near the docks, there's music, dancing, the finest food, but all it comes down to is the big finale. At midnight, the falling stars travel above Dawnstar once again, right up until the sun rises. Will you be there?" Thoring asked, enjoying the conversation he was having with his new acquaintance.

"I'm not sure. I was only planning on staying for the night, then I was going to head South" Talon replied, trying to make a decision. However, his attention was brought to the door of the inn when it flew open, partially filling the inn with the outside air. Instantly, Talon studied the person as she took a moment to enjoy the warmth. She was a Dark Elf, had red battle paint over her left eye and wore an easily recognizable Forsworn headdress. He couldn't remember the name of the armour she was wearing, but it wasn't the armour he was interested. He was actually transfixed on the necklace she wore. It was an amulet of Stendarr. Talon figured that, if he could get his hands on it, he could sell it for a fair amount of gold. He couldn't snatch it here, too many witnesses. He needed a place where everybody would be too distracted to notice...of course. Turning back to Thoring with a smile, Talon held down his laugh as his plan sprung up in his head.

"Actually, Thoring, I may be going to that festival after all" he announced, eagerly awaiting tomorrow's events.

**- The Festival of Falling Stars -**

The only thing being heard that night in Dawnstar were the sounds of both music and people having a good time. Sitting next to the dock's walkway was a huge table, overgrown with all the best foods. There were cuts of meat, drinks, even sweets. Not so far away from that table was a rock formation that was in the perfect shape for a makeshift stage. Sitting upon it were the finest bards, using their combined skills of instrument playing and singing, they were creating beautiful melodies for the whole town to listen to. As for the lighting, multiple torches had been placed around the area, illuminating the even precisely. However, as the festivities continued, there was one person standing out. Standing by the docks, departed from the laughter and small talk, the female Dark Elf leant against a wooden pillar, alone in her finest clothes, just how she preferred it. She was so distant, that she failed to notice the figure in black, leather armour head over to the bards and give the vocalist five gold coins. He whispered something that caused the vocalist to smile. As the figure walked away, the vocalist told something to his fellow bards, to which they nodded in response. The vocalist stood up to address the crowd, which stopped their merriment briefly as he relayed the message.

"Here's a favourite I'm sure you all know well. The Dragonborn Comes" he announced, getting a round of applause from the townsfolk. As the music began, the figure made his way over to the Dark Elf, catching her attention as he did so.

"May I have this dance?" the teenage Nord asked, his jet black hair hanging over his emerald-green eyes as his trademark grin spread across his lips. Looking him up and down, a smile slowly spread across the Dark Elf's lips.

"Sure, kid" she replied, following Talon to the "dance floor". Taking each other hand in hand, the pair began to slow dance as the well-known ballad played over the sounds of the night. Leaning in close, the Dark Elf began to whisper in Talon's ear.

"So, what do you want from me?" she asked, making Talon put on a fake, hurt expression.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, trying to sound as confused as possible.

"C'mon, why would you pick the one girl who's all by herself? Either you want something from me or you're trying to get into my underwear," she explained, the last few words making Talon's eyes widen.

"Smart. You see..." he paused, scaring the Dark Elf as she felt a cold metal pressed up against her dress. Looking down, she saw that he'd brandished a dagger, the side of the blade pressed against her lower torso.

"...I'm a thief. And all I want is a little cooperation" Talon continued, smiling and raising his eyebrows. Doing his best to conceal his weapon, Talon twirled the Dark Elf in a circle, impressing some of the onlookers.

"Interesting. You know why?" the Dark Elf asked, the sound of a metallic clinking hitting Talon's ears made his eyes widen in fear.

"Cause I'm a thief too" the Dark Elf answered, a smile now plastered on her face.

"Umm...is that another dagger?" Talon asked, fearing what would happen if he looked down.

"No, I'm just happy to see you" the Dark Elf replied sarcastically. Grinning back, Talon twirled the Dark Elf outwards the twirled back in, getting some more applause from the crowd.

"Clever, but I'm not asking for much. Just your pretty necklace" Talon explained, glancing down at the jewellery as it hung above her generous chest. Following his gaze, the Dark Elf glanced from the amulet, back up to Talon with a partial grin.

"That better be my amulet you're looking at, kid," she threatened, getting a grin from the young thief. They still had their blades to each other's stomachs, not letting their guards down.

"I'm sorry, but this amulet's special to me. Can't you let me off just this once? Thief to thief?" she asked, making a thoughtful expression spread across Talon's face. He'd never been asked to be let off before. Not even by another thief. Placing his dagger back in its sheath, his trademark grin returned to his face once more.  
"Lets show these people a big finish they'll never forget," he suggested, causing the Dark Elf to return her own dagger to its sheath. Finishing their dance, Talon spun her around him, leaned her back then finally pulled her in close until their faces were inches apart. Unbeknownst to them, the crowd of people had cleared the "dance floor" so the two could finish their routine, but they'd been so caught up in their conversation, they didn't even notice. Instantly, the crowd erupted in applause, catching both thieves off guard. Grinning with embarrassment, they both took a bow and headed away from the crowd. When they were out of sight, they both burst into fits of laughter. However, they ceased their hysterical cries as the sky was suddenly engulfed by light. Looking up, the two watched as many white lights flew overhead, they were so bright, and it almost looked like morning.

"Wow, that's amazing" Talon commented, not taking his eyes off the spectacle for a second.

"It is, isn't it? By the way, if it means so much to you, you can have this" the Dark Elf replied, removing her amulet from around her neck and holding it out to him. Talon was amazed at how she was just giving it to him, but he knew that he had to do what was right.

"Don't worry about it. You can keep it" he responded, pushing her hand away, amazing her in the process.

"I guess I misjudged you. You're more good-hearted than you look" the Dark Elf complimented, placing the amulet back around her neck. Standing up, Talon held out his hand to the Dark Elf. She took a hold off it in return and Talon helped her to her feet.

"So, where are you headed?" she asked, straightening out her headdress.

"South. I heard there's a bandit camp that needs clearing out" Talon replied, nodding the certain direction.

"Well, good luck with that. I hope we run into each other again," the Dark Elf suggested, bringing another smile to Talon's face.

"Yeah, same. Nice to meet you...um..." he paused, having a horrible realisation. Throughout the whole night, he'd never asked her for her name. Catching on, the Dark Elf couldn't help but chuckle.

"Kyo. My name's Kyo" she finished, bringing a smile to Talon's face.

"I'm Talon, it was nice meeting you, Kyo" he replied, turning to walk away. As he did so, Kyo watched with intrigue. Not wanting to miss and more of the festival, she turned to rejoin the crowd. However, she couldn't help but feel that something was missing. She couldn't put her finger on it...wait, her finger. Looking down at her left hand, she saw that her gold ring was missing. With a shocked expression, she turned to back to see Talon still walking on the path that led away from the town. Looking very closely at his hand, she saw that he was wearing her ring on his hand. Turning back to face her, Talon gave her a wink, causing an amazed expression to appear on her face.

"_Sneaky bastard_" she thought as she turned away to rejoin the crowd, looking up at the sky as the stars continued on their never-ending journey around the planet.

**A/N: Kyo – created by kotalee**

**More chapters coming soon. Sorry for shortness. **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Bandits

The sound of birds chirping filled the air as the sun shone down on the grassy plains surrounding Whiterun. All around, deer roamed and drank from a small pond. However, they ran in fear as the sound of footsteps pressing down on the muddy ground filled their ears. No sooner had they ran, a team of three made their way over the grassy knoll, completely oblivious to the creatures that had previously inhabited that area. The leader of the group was a female Imperial with long, messy, black hair and war paint covering one of her eyes. She wore a set of ebony armor, minus the helmet and had an ebony sword sheathed at her side. Behind her was a male Breton wearing a different set of armor. Like the Imperial, he wore ebony armor. However, he wore a pair of steel plate boots with a Stormcloak Officer Hood and braces. On his back was his enchanted glass bow which he'd named 'Fear Fire'. And finally, trailing behind them, was a female Dark Elf with a blonde mohawk. Her eyes were the strangest feature though, one was red, the other was white. And from the neck down she wore a set of Dark Brotherhood armor, a steels dagger attached to her belt. As they continued their travel at a slow pace, the Breton let out a groan as his legs ached.

"Are we there yet?" he asked the Imperial, agitating her even further.

"I swear to the Divines, if you ask me that one more time..." she began, before getting interrupted by the Dark Elf.

"Don't start this again, you two. The sooner we take out this Bandit Camp, the sooner we can go our separate ways" she reminded, causing her...companions to cease fire. Then, as they crossed over the final hill, their hearts lifted as they saw the vast rock formation in front of them. Silent Moons Camp. Reaching the bottom of the stone steps, they diverted their gaze upwards as they saw that the steps led to a small chamber at the top of the formation. Looking around, they couldn't see an sign of the bandits, only the fire that they'd left burning and some of their supplies. Readying their weapons, they all started to make their way up the steps towards the top. However, before they could get very far, the Breton stopped in his tracks, catching the attention of both the Imperial and the Dark Elf.

"What are you-" the Imperial tried to ask before he interrupted her.

"What is it?" the Dark Elf asked with concern.

"Don't you hear that?" the Breton replied with a followup question, causing the others to listen carefully. Sure enough, they could both make out the faint sounds of shouting and explosions. Looking in the direction of the sounds, they saw a small wooden door built into the side of the formation, a door that they hadn't noticed yet. As the shouting got closer and closer, they all jumped with surprise as two strangers burst through the door and slammed it shut behind them. One was a teenage Nord with long, black hair which almost reached his shoulders, the other was an Argonian with dark, forest green scales and dressed from head to toe in dragon plate armor.

"The barrel! Quickly!" the teenager said, nodding to the barrel beside the door. Reacting quickly, the Argonian stood beside the barrel and began pushing it in front of the door.

"You realize that this is all your fault, right?" the Argonian reminded, causing a look of anger to spread across the Nord's face.

"How is it my fault?" the Nord replied, helping his "friend" shift the barrel into position.

"You were the one who set off the booby trap" the Argonian explained, walking away from the door once the barrel was properly placed.

"Hey, if you'd gone first, you would-" the Nord paused as both of them noticed the presence of the Imperial, Breton and Dark Elf.

"What are you doing here?" the Argonian asked with a tone of darkness.

"We could ask you the same question" the Imperial replied, stepping forward until their faces were inches apart. However, the loud bang from the other side of the wooden door answered her question.

"Listen, we have to go. Now!" the teenager insisted, turning back to face the group.

"Why should we? We could take them" the Breton replied, cracking his knuckles enthusiastically.

"He's serious. There are too many bandits. You wouldn't stand a chance" the Argonian explained before there was another loud bang came from the door.

"That way, there's a giant camp. We could hide there" the teenager explained, pointing in the direction of Bleakwind Basin.

"Fine, but you better be sure about this" the Imperial agreed, causing all of them to sprint in that direction. Finally, the wooden door blew open amidst a ball of fire. A bandit mage exited the charred doorway, a ball of fire hovering above her palm. Behind her walked the bandit chief, an Orc dressed in steel armor with a look of pure anger.

"Should we go after them?" the mage asked, clasping her hand shut to extinguish the magical flame.

"Of course, they need to know who they're dealing with" the Orc replied, watching the group as they continued their sprint into the distance.

Talon peeked above the rock...the coast was clear. Immediately, he slumped back down to the grassy ground, joining his fellow prey.

"I think we lost them. What are your names?" he asked, looked to the Imperial.

"I'm Sigyn" the Imperial greeted, breathing heavily.

"Eon" the Breton replied soon after.

"And I'm Kaini" the Dark Elf finished, doing her best to put on a smile.

"I'm Razorfist and this is Talon" the Argonian greeted before gesturing to his teenage friend.

"What were you doing out here?" Talon asked, referring to the previous events.

"The three of us heard that the Jarl of Whiterun needed that camp cleared out. So we decided to team up and split the reward" Kaini answered, wiping sweat as is poured down her forehead.

"Same. Me and Razorfist were going to split it fifty-fifty" Talon replied, right before a loud click hit their eardrums. Looking out from their hiding place, Talon looked down to see and arrow on the ground beside the rock. Suddenly, an arrow landed in the ground in front of him, barely missing his hand. Looking up, he gasped as he saw many bandits heading their way, each with their weapons drawn. Counting each of them, Talon's heart stopped; there were eleven of them including the chief.  
"We have to move! Now!" Talon ordered, causing the group to instantly retreat towards the large fire ahead of them. Sure enough, patrolling the area was a giant, his club resting upon his shoulder as he paced back and forth. However, once he noticed the oncoming group, he raised his club in self defense, attracting the attention of his mammoth herd. Realizing what the giant was doing, Talon stopped in his tracks, the others doing the same.

"Please, don't hurt us. We're under attack" he explained, pointing back the way they came. Looking up, the giant noticed the large clan heading his way. Suddenly, he let out a cry of pain as one of the bandit's arrows pierced his leg, sending him to one knee.

"By the Divines, does anybody know a healing spell?" Sigyn asked frantically, her eyes darting to each of the group members.

"I do. Hold them off, I'll join you when I can" Kaini replied, heading over to the wounded creature. Instantly, each member of the group drew their weapons, prepared for combat. Due to the number of bandits, each member of the group chose two targets and attacked. Taking the first two head-on, Sigyn slashed the first bandit across the chest, right before stabbing the other one straight in the head. Retrieving his bow and a single arrow, Eon waited for the perfect moment, the moment when one bandit was standing in front of another. Then, when that chance came, he released his arrow, causing it to fly clean through the forehead of the first bandit before lodging itself in the head of the second one. The extra power of the fire enchantment had been powerful enough to burn a hole straight through the head of the first bandit, allowing the arrow to take out the other. Razorfist drove his great-sword into the chest of the first bandit, killing them instantly. Then, when a second one tried to attack him from behind, he elbowed her in the face, giving him time to retrieve his sword and swing it around, decapitating her. Talon grabbed his dagger from his belt and threw it at the first bandit, lodging it in his forehead. And finally, when the second one tried to stab him with his dagger, Talon swiftly dodged it and reverted his aim, causing the bandit to stab himself. With Kaini, she was able to fix the giant's wound so she could help out with the battle. Unfortunately for her, the bandit chief had chosen her as his target. But before he could even take a swing at her, she blocked his punch and headbutted him straight in the forehead. Then, when the final bandit was heading her way, she grabbed one of their previous arrows from the ground and plunged it straight into the bandit's eye. With the battle finally over, the group gathered together, amazed at their unlikely victory.

"I can't believe we did it" Eon sighed, looking around at the corpses of their enemies. However, they were all too distracted to notice the bandit chief regaining his footing and retrieving his sword. Talon however, was the first to notice him as he sneaked up behind Kaini.

"Kaini, look out!" he called, just as the chief took a swing at the unaware Dark Elf.

CRUNCH!

The group gasped out in fear as the ground shook beneath them. Turning to Kaini, the group watched in shock at the bloodied giant's club which rested on the ground behind her. As it raised up off of the ground, the group gagged at the sight of the crushed bandit chief, his body now a puddle of gore and warped armor. Looking up, they saw the giant that Kaini had previously helped, the bloodied club held in his grasp.

"Thank you" Kaini thanked, getting a solemn nod from her unlikely savior. Then, without saying a word, the giant turned away, heading back to his camp.

"So, what do we do about the reward?" Razorfist asked, attracting the group's attention. An awkward silence spread through them as they contemplated their choices. Until finally, Talon spoke.

"You four go to Dragonsreach and tell the Jarl that you cleared out the camp together. You guys can split it four ways" he decided, stunning the group.

"But you helped too. Don't you want a share?" Eon asked, still wondering how he could turn down the reward.

"Nah, I'll be fine. You guys earned it anyway" Talon replied, getting friendly smiles all around. Stepping forward, Sigyn held out her hand to the young thief.

"It's been fun working with you, Talon" she complimented, allowing the thief to reach out and shake her hand. Then, without saying another word, Razorfist, Sigyn, Kaini and Eon started making their way toward Whiterun as Talon headed the opposite direction.

**A/N: Not my longest chapter, but at least it has some action in it. **

**- Sigyn Kovanis – created by honest-liar-13**

**- Razorfist – created by VincenttheCrow**

**- Eon – created by GayGoblin**

**- Kaini – created by Airmead**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Jailbreak

Talon headed inside the graveyard just behind the Temple of Mara, blowing into his hands and rubbing them together as the cold wind chilled him to the bone. Passing a few tombstones, his eyes settled upon the marble coffin sitting in the old, stone room. He headed inside and knelt in front of the coffin, searching for any secret releases to open it.

"_If Ailios opened this from the inside, there must be some way to open it from the outside_" he thought, raising his eyebrow with suspicion as he noticed the embossed, stone symbol on the side of the coffin. Reaching out to touch it, Talon pulled his hand away in surprise as the symbol moved inward, causing the tiled ground beneath him to rumble. Talon instantly stood up and backed away from the coffin as it slowly began to disappear into the wall behind it, along with a fair portion of the floor. Staring into the darkness, a smile spread across Talon's lips as he noticed the boarded hatch at the bottom of the steps.

"_Bingo_" he thought as he started making his way into the darkness.

**- The Ragged Flagon -**

Vex leaned against her usual stack of crates, giving the occasional nod to a Guild member every so often. However, the next face she saw surprised her. It had been a while since she'd last seen the dark haired intruder. As he made his way over to her, she allowed a complimentary smile to appear on her face.

"Brynjolf said that I'd find you here" Talon explained, stopping in front of her.

"Did he now? It's good to see you again, kid" Vex replied kindly, something that she hardly ever did.

"You too. I've been meaning to speak with you" Talon continued, causing a curious look to spread across Vex's face.

"Why? You looking for some extra work?" she asked coquettishly, crossing her arms.

"Nah, it's not that. I need help" Talon answered, making this curiouser and curiouser for the master sneaker.

"Help with what?" she asked again, tapping her fingers on her upper arm.

"Help with breaking my friend out of Castle Dour" Talon replied, causing Vex's eyes to widen.

"Castle Dour? Why there?" she asked, her voice smothered in confusion. Sighing, Talon redirected his gaze to the ground.

"Did you hear about the circlet that got stolen from the Blue Palace not too long ago?" he asked, causing Vex's eyes to widen again.

"That was you? Nice catch" she complimented, grinning with pride.

"Thanks. But it cost somebody I know dearly" Talon replied, still looking at the ground. Noticing his sadness, Vex placed a comforting hand on the young thief's shoulder.

"What happened?" she asked, wanting to hear the ending.

"A beggar from the street helped stall the guards whilst I made my escape. But my friend Kyo tipped me off that he was going to be executed soon" Talon explained, finally looking up at his latest acquaintance.

"If I wasn't busy, I'd be behind you all the way. But I think I know somebody who can take my place" Vex suggested, nodding over to one of the tables. Turning around, Talon noticed a stranger sitting at Delvin's table, having what looked like a small debate. He was an Imperial and wore a set of scaled armor with an iron helmet. At his side was a glass sword, still in its sheath.

"Hey, Fabricus" Vex called out, catching the stranger's attention. Getting up from his chair, the stranger, apparently named Fabricus, headed over to the two of them.

"What do you need, Vex? And who's this?" he asked in a deep voice, his eyes darting from her to Talon.

"Fabricus, this is Talon. Talon, this is Fabricus Tullius Buell, one of our latest recruits" Vex introduced, gesturing to each of them with her hand.  
"Pleasure to meet you" Talon greeted, holding out his hand.

"Likewise. Talon, eh? Where have I heard that name before?" Fabricus replied, shaking Talon's hand heartily.

"He's kid who broke into Marieka's house a while ago" Vex reminded, getting a stern look from the young thief.

"Ah, that's it. I was wondering if I'd ever meet you. What can I do you for?" Fabricus said, causing Talon to turn back to face him.

"I need help breaking my friend out of Castle Dour" he explained, causing a thoughtful look to spread across Fabricus' face.

"Castle Dour? That sounds like a suicide mission, son" he said, rubbing his chin.

"I know. But if he gets executed and I don't do anything to help him, his blood's going to be on my hands" Talon replied deeply, warming the Imperial's heart, not to mention Vex's.

"You're crazy, Talon. But I'm not going to stand idly by whilst a fellow thief risks his life to save his friend. Count me in" Fabricus said, making Talon's trademark grin return to his lips.

"Thanks. Meet me in the Cistern and I'll tell you the plan" he explained, excitedly.

"I'll be there when I can. I have to finish my business with Delvin" Fabricus replied, his voice getting angry near the end of his response. Without saying another word, he returned to his previous table. Heading back over to the secret door, Talon turned the corner, only to literally bump into a familiar face.

"Ailios?" he asked with a grin.

"Talon? Great to see you again" his friend greeted with a smile. Talon couldn't help but smile back.

"What are you doing back? Have you finally accepted Brynjolf's offer?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Not yet. I just needed some help with a little jailbreak" Talon replied simply, making Ailios raise her eyebrows.

"Interesting. Do you need any other help?" she asked suggestively, giving him 'the look'.

"Nah, its...actually, how are you at riding horses?" he asked in response.

**- The next day, Solitude -**

As usual, the streets of Solitude were filled with citizens, soldiers and merchants alike. Everywhere you looked you could see people either talking or trying to trade items, just a typical day like any other. Or so they thought. Just outside Bits and Pieces, leaning against the wall, were two figures, both wearing dark hoods to cover their faces. One of them raised his head to take a quick look around, but lowered his head soon afterward.

"Are you sure he said he'd be here?" Talon asked, turning to face Fabricus, his head cloaked in the same dark hood.

"Don't worry, Dami has never let me down before" Fabricus replied, silently praying that he wouldn't be wrong. Then, almost like the Gods had been overhearing his thoughts, Fabricus smiled as he noticed a familiar face heading towards them from across the market. He was Argonian with dark green scales and had red war paint under his eyes. From the neck down, he wore an armor unlike anything Talon had ever seen. It reminded him of the ancient armor of the Nightingales that he'd read about, something he'd never thought he'd see. As the Argonian approached, a smile spread across Fabricus' face.

"Dami. Good to see you again, friend" he said, pulling the Argonian in for a strong hug, the Argonian hugged back heartily.

"And you, Fabricus" he hissed deeply, giving his friend a pat on the back. As they parted, Dami looked past him at the teenage Nord leaning against the wall.

"Made a new friend I see?" he asked, nodding towards Talon. Letting out a chuckle, Fabricus grabbed Talon by the shoulder and pulled him forward, allowing him to join the conversation.

"Dami, this is Talon. He's the reason I called you here today" he introduced, standing in between them as they studied each other.

"Really? You're the lunatic who wants to break his friend out of Castle Dour?" Dami questioned, crossing his arms with a grin.

"Nice to meet you too" Talon answered, holding out his hand. Still grinning, Dami reached out and shook it.

"So, have you thought of an escape plan for after? I mean, if you're breaking somebody out of the main Imperial Headquarters, you must have a plan for getting out before they notice" he asked, allowing Talon's arm to drop to his side.

"You think this is my first breakout? I've got it all figured out. First..." he began as he explained his plan to the Argonian with extreme detail, making sure that he got every stage right. Upon finishing, Dami rubbed his chin with thought.

"That might actually work. What do we need to do first?" he asked, eager to get started.

"Go wait in the bushes near where the secret exit is, I'll lead those guards over" Talon explained, nodding to the two guards standing near The Winking Skeever. Obliging, Fabricus and Dami headed behind the stone corridor, leaving Talon standing by himself. Getting into character, Talon put on a worried look and ran over to the guards.

"Please, you have to help me" he said, gasping for air. Instantly, he caught the attention of both guards.

"What's wrong, boy?" one of them asked in a deep voice, standing to attention.

"I saw a couple of men heading in from the lower entrance to the city. I think they might be thieves" Talon explained, causing both guards to retrieve their swords.

"Where did you see them?" the guards asked, his tone turning deep and serious.

"This way. Come on, I'll show you" Talon replied, leading them to where Fabricus and Dami were hiding. As the guards headed round the corner, Talon stayed back, looking left and right to make sure that nobody saw them. As he did so, the sounds of clanking metal and grunts of pain filled his ears, causing a small smirk to appear on his lips. As the air went silent, he looked around the corner to see Fabricus and Dami breathing heavily, the guards lying unconscious at their feet.

"Now what?" Fabricus asked, briefly glancing down at the guards.

"Put his armor on" Talon said, pointing at the unconscious body in front of him.

**- Castle Dour Dungeon -**

The two guards stood on either side of the corridor leading to the room full of jail cells, the wretched scent of the prisoners filling the air. However, this problem was ignored at the sound of metal boots hitting the stone floor. Sure enough, a teenage Nord was lead around the corner by a Solitude Guard, his face hidden by the dark, emotionless helmet.

"Who's this?" one of the guards asked, nodding to the young boy and getting an irritated look from him in response.

"He's just been brought in. I was taking him to his cell" the guard leading Talon replied, trying to sound convincing. As the two other guards exchanged nods, they turned back to the latest guard.

"There's a free cell to the le-" one of them began before Talon slipped out of his deliberately loose binds and shoved the guard behind him into the wall, right before making a run for it. His fleet footsteps could be heard as he made his way back up the steps to the upper level of the dungeon.

"He's escaped. After him" the guard who was leading him ordered as he leaned against the wall for support. On command, the two guards retrieved their swords and ran after the prisoner. Once he'd made sure that they were gone, the remaining guard removed his helmet, revealing the face of Fabricus. On the small table beside him, Fabricus grabbed the key to the cells and headed into the center of the room.

"Which one of you is Noster Eagle-Eye?" he asked, his eyes darting to each cell as he studied the prisoners inside.

"That'd be me" Noster asked, leaning against the door of his cell as he caught Fabricus' attention. As he headed to him, Noster eyed him up and down.

"Aren't you a little tall for a guard?" he asked as Fabricus turned the key in the lock and pulled the door open.

"I'm Fabricus Tullius Buell. I'm here to rescue you" he replied, motioning him to follow, to which he instantly did so. As the two of them reached the top of the stone steps, Talon casually walked up to them, a grin plastered on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Noster asked, grinning with gratitude.

"Outcasts like us need to stick together" Talon replied, grinning back. Fabricus looked past him to see where the guards were. But they were nowhere in sight.

"Where did they go?" Fabricus asked curiously, expecting them to appear at any moment.

"Don't ask me how, but I was able to lock them in the executioner's room" Talon replied, feeling pleased with himself.

"But what if they get out?" Fabricus asked, getting more and more anxious.

"Not without these they won't" Talon replied again, this time holding out his hand to reveal three separate keys. Suddenly, a loud crack and the sound of splintering wood echoed off of the stone walls as the door to the executioner's room was blown away slightly. Looking to the door, they gasped in shock as the saw the blade of the executioner's axe emerging from the hole.

"Oh…I forgot he had an axe" Talon remembered awkwardly, his face turning red.

"COME ON!" Fabricus ordered as the three of them ran for the exit, closing it behind them as the sound of the door finally collapsing hit their ears. As they ran out of the dungeon, they passed the War Room where General Tullius and Legate Rikke were talking, catching their attention. However, they made it outside before he could recognize the escaped prisoner. As the three of them made their way down to the ground level of Solitude, they turned to see multiple guards heading after them.

"STOP THEM!" one called out as they made their way to the city gates.

"Where are we even going?" Noster asked as they ran, gasping for air.

"Down near the stables" Talon replied, easily bypassing his companions with his immense speed. Quickly, Talon pulled the gate open and ushered the others through before following suite. Once he saw the crowd of guards heading their way, he pulled the gate shut and began catching up with the others. Making their way to the bottom of the path, a merciful sight met their eyes. Two horses were waiting near the path out of Solitude, one of them being ridden by Dami.

"Come on! Quickly!" he hissed, looking down each road to check that the coast was clear. Looking back, Talon heart started beating even faster as the guards got closer and closer, just like the last time he was here. Approaching the horses, Noster climbed up on to Dami's horse, sitting behind him and wrapping his arms around his waist for balance. Fabricus leapt up onto the second horse, expecting Talon to jump up afterward. However, Talon didn't move a muscle.

"What are you doing?" Fabricus asked, his eyes repeatedly darting from Talon to the guards.

"I'll distract those guards. You need to get Noster to Riften" he instructed, nodding down the road out of the city. Sighing, Fabricus saluted Talon; he mirrored the action in return.

"Good luck" he said as he nudged the horse's side with his boot, instructing it to run. Talon watched as both horses started galloping away, leaving him by himself. Looking back, Talon gasped as he saw that the guards had almost reached him. Talon instantly took off in a sprint, heading down the path to the docks just like last time.

"_C'mon, where are you?_" he thought as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. However, before he could reach the bridge, he skidded to a halt as he saw guards blocking his path.

"You can't fool us twice, thief" one called out, getting shouts of agreement from his fellow men. All at once, guards started to close in on Talon, blocking every escape route possible.

"_Anytime now would be good_" he thought as he looked up and down each road, expecting to see somebody. However, before the guards could even lay a finger on him, a loud, inhuman, bloodcurdling scream echoed across the land. Looking in the direction it had come from, the guards all gasped in shock at what they saw. Riding towards them on a black horse was a figure wearing a dark cloak with a hood, hiding their face from view. As the figure let out another scream, the guards started to flee, fearing what the stranger would do if they got to close. Dodging to the left, Talon fell to the ground as the horse stopped right in front of him, the figure gazing down at him without emotion. However, Talon's face lit up as he recognized the face hidden underneath. Holding up her hidden hand, Ailios revealed a small horn. Holding it up to her mouth, she screamed into it, the sound amplified and distorted by the object she shouted into. Placing it back under her cloak, she watched as Talon stood back up.

"What time do you call this?" he asked, crossing his arms with a grin.

"Just in time to save you ass" Ailios replied, holding out her hand. Talon grabbed hold of it, using it for support as he climbed up onto the horse, sitting down behind Ailios. Ailios nudged the horse in the same style as Fabricus before it darted along the path out of Solitude. Looking back, Talon let out a whoop of rapture as he saw the guards pathetically trying to run after them.

**- Later, Riften Stables –**

Noster leaned against one of the stable's posts, watching Fabricus as he paced back and forth impatiently, every once in a while looking down the road for any sign of life. The fact that it was nightfall didn't make it easier. As for Dami, he'd parted ways with them a few miles back, needing to be headed elsewhere.

"Ugh, where could he be?" Fabricus pondered, running his hand back through his hair agitatedly.

"Stop worrying. If he's escaped the guards once, he can escape them again" Noster reassured, hoping that he was right.

"But what if he doesn't? You saw how many guards were after us. What if we left him for dead?" Fabricus alleged, his tone slowly filling with anger as he pointed his finger at Noster. But before Noster could retaliate, he was cut off by the faint sounds of hooves hitting against stone. Turning, Fabricus' jaw hung open as he saw the horse riding up. Stopping outside the stables, Talon dropped down from the horses back, assisting Ailios to the ground soon after. Without warning, Fabricus threw his bulky arms around Talon, unknowingly cutting off his air supply.

"Thank the gods you got out alive" he said, letting Talon drop to the ground and allowing him to breathe again.

"Both of you" Fabricus continued as he flung his arms around Ailios in a similar fashion before releasing her too.

"Thanks for helping me, Fabricus. If you ever need anything from me, just ask" Talon thanked, getting a grateful smile from Fabricus in return.

"What about me? I can't go back to Solitude after what's happened" Noster reminded, catching everybody off guard.

"Leave that to me. I'll have a little word with the Jarl; the Stormcloak rebellion could always use more recruits" Ailios responded, causing a look of pure amazement to appear on Noster's face.

"Really? Thank you so much" he thanked, grinning ecstatically.

"Until then, you can stay with us in the Flagon. I'm sure Brynjolf won't mind an extra guest. C'mon, I'll take you now" Fabricus insisted, leading Noster to the city gates.

"I hope to see you again, Talon" Fabricus called behind him, looking back at the young thief.

"Likewise" Talon replied as Fabricus and Noster disappeared behind the city gates. Realizing that they were alone, an awkward silence filled the air between Talon and Ailios.

"Thanks for saving me. You know, back in Solitude" Talon thanked, breaking it.

"No problem, prisoner" Ailios replied, calling him by his new nickname. Rolling his eyes, Talon turned his head, looking down the road leading out of Riften.

"Where you headed now?" Ailios asked, following his gaze.

"That way" he replied, nodding down the road. Smiling, Ailios held out her hand.

"Be careful" she warned as Talon shook her hand.

"I'm always careful" he replied before making his way down the road, wandering off into the night. As he walked, Ailios kept her eyes on him, praying to the gods that they'd watch over him.

"_I've got to admit, this guys has guts_" she thought as she headed over to the gates of Riften.

**A/N: More coming soon.**

**Ailios – created by iGaMzEeX**

**Fabricus Tullius Buell – created by Freelancerrook**

**Dami – created by Nuclearbones**

**Laters**

**-7**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Blood and fire

The rain thundered down on the Wood Elf as she tore through the forest, the hood on her dark purple mage robes blowing behind her. Glancing back, she gasped in fear as the shapes of people got closer and closer. Hiding behind a tree, Inari peeked out to see what was happening, her pure, white hair clinging to her forehead due to its wetness. Suddenly, Inari jumped back as an arrow lodged itself in the tree, mere inches from her face.

"COME ON! SHE WENT THIS WAY!" an angry male voice ordered, causing Inari's heart to flood with fear. Focusing on the silhouettes heading her way, Inari held her hand out in front of her, just as a fireball erupted from her palm, rocketing into the trees. As the sound of a brief explosion hit her ears, she grinned and continued to run. However, just when she thought she was home free, she failed to notice the tree trunk sticking out of the ground and tripped, falling to the muddy ground with a grunt. As she pushed herself back up, Inari let out a gasp of pain as she felt a heavy boot kick her in the back, reacquainting her with the forest floor.

"STAY DOWN!" a female voice ordered, just as a pair of hands wrapped a blindfold around her eyes, turning the world she saw to black. No sooner had the blindfold been applied, her hand were pulled behind her back and bound together with rope. Suddenly, she felt her cheek heat up as it was blown on by somebody's warm breath.

"Try any of that magic crap and we'll kill you. Got it?" the same male voice as before ordered, disturbing Inari as she breathed at an excessive rate.

"GOT IT?!" the man repeated, grabbing her by the hair and giving it a sharp tug, causing her to call out in agony. Slowly, she nodded, trying to put on a brave face. And that was the last she heard of her kidnappers as she was lead through the forest, her destination: unknown.

Inari could feel the warmth of a fire as she felt herself being led into a room, one of the few perks which she'd enjoyed since being led to this undetermined place. All of a sudden, she was forced down, scraping her knees on the stone floor as she landed.

"Remove her blindfold" a high-class voice ordered, seconds before her vision returned. Looking around, Inari realized that she must have been in an abandoned fort, easily recognizable due to the spare Stormcloak armor which had been left on the shelves. In front of her, she saw the silhouette of a person standing in front of a fireplace, his teeth forming into a sick grin as he studied her figure, creeping her out as he did so. Since he was studying her, Inari decided to return the favor. He was a High Elf with shaggy, blonde hair and deep, red eyes. He wore a set of steel armor with a crimson circle crudely painted on the front, minus the helmet.

"Why did you bring her here?" the High Elf ordered, looking past her at his two allies. Craning her neck the best she could, she saw two people dressed in similar armor with the same red circle painted on the front, obviously their insignia. One was a female Breton with black hair pulled to one side. The other was a baldheaded Orc, the one who'd spoken to her back in the forest. Realizing this, Inari couldn't help but give him a look of hate, thankfully unnoticed by him.

"We found her snooping near the grounds, Grail. We figured she may be a spy" the Breton explained, causing Inari to roll her eyes in annoyance.

"I told you on the way up here, I wasn't spying on you and I'm not with the Imperials OR the Stormcloaks" she cut in angrily, causing the High Elf (now known as Grail) to shake his head with disappointment. Kneeling down to eye level, Grail grabbed her by her jaw and jolted her head back around so she was facing him.

"You'd better be telling the truth, girl. Cause if there's one thing I hate, it's a liar. Do you know what I do to liars?" he asked, causing her to fearfully shake her head. Grinning, Grail stood back up and walked over to a door beside the fireplace, Inari's eyes followed him as he slowly took each footstep. Arriving at the door, Grail grabbed the handle and pulled it open, revealing a truly horrifying sight. Under the flickering light of a few candles, Inari saw hundreds of different torture devices, that and blood splatters all over the walls and floor. Inari was close to vomiting, thankfully, Grail shut the door soon after.

"This is just the torture room, that's how we finish them off" he said, nodding past her, causing the Breton and Orc to grabbed Inari by the shoulder and spin her around on the floor. This time, Inari did vomit. On the other side of the room, beside a small wooden table, there were 4 bodies, all hung from the ceiling with ropes, the ends tied into nooses and swung around the necks of the corpses. Gasping for air, Inari shut her eyes, no longer wanting to view the horrific scene.

"She's seen enough, turn her away" Grail ordered, Inari mentally thanked the Gods for their mercy. Opening her eyes, Inari was partially relieved to see Grail looking down at her again.

"So, you better not get any ideas about trying to escape. Even if you are a mage, we'll deal with you like we deal with the others. You're not the first mage we've killed" Grail threatened, causing a small tear to roll down Inari's face.

"Put her with the cat" Grail ordered, causing his allies to grab Inari and pull her up onto her feet. She was dragged over to another door and led down the cold, stone steps leading to the dungeon. Arriving at a row of cells, Inari saw a Nord wearing the same armor as the others, the one in charge of keeping an eye on the prisoners, if they were still alive that is.

"We've been ordered to put her with the Khajiit" the Orc notified, getting a nod from the blonde-haired Nord as he stood up and reached for his keys. Inari was led down the row to the fourth cell, but before she entered, the Nord bashed his steel gauntlets against the bars.

"You're getting a new cellmate, back away from the door" he ordered, causing the figure in the cell to move back to the wall. Turning the key in the lock, the Nord pulled open the door, allowing the Orc and Breton to lead Inari inside. Quickly, the Orc cut Inari's binding and shoved her forward; she let out a scream of pain as she fell to the floor. Slamming the door behind her, the Nord turned the key in the lock once more, trapping Inari inside.

"Get used to it, Bosmer. You're going to be here for a while" he mocked, getting his comrades to laugh contemptuously as they walked away. Turning around, Inari couldn't help but feel susceptible by the Khajiit leaning against the wall at the back of the cell. She had green eyes and dark orange fur. Her eyes were narrowed, studying the newbie.

"What did you do to get put in here?" she asked, still staring at the Wood Elf with inquisitiveness.

"Those dumbasses think that I'm a spy or something" Inari replied, getting a smile from the unpromising cellmate.

"Some people have all the luck; I was on my way to Solitude when they jumped me. They figured that nobody would care about one of my kind missing. Those bastards" the Khajiit sighed, getting a look of empathy from the Wood Elf.

"I'm Inari" she greeted, trying to change the mood of the conversation.

"Ashpyre" the Khajiit greeted in kind, giving her an openhearted nod. Quickly glancing down at Inari's sartorial, she continued.

"Those are mage robes, right? Why don't you just escape?" she asked, surprising Inari.

"They said that if I tried, I'd end up like...the others" she replied, shivering at the thought of those dead corpses hanging up there. Suddenly, both prisoners jumped in alarm at the sound of shouting coming from the floor above them. They listened with horror as the shouts of protest became screams of pain.

"By the Gods, they're torturing someone" Inari stated, covering her mouth as the screams became more and more intense. Quickly, she ran over to the cell door, hitting at it with all her might as she tried to open it.

"Are you insane? Even if you could get out, they'd catch you. You said so yourself. Besides, that poor soul is probably going to be dead by the time you get up there" Ashpyre tried to convince, causing Inari to burst out in anger.

"I HAVE TO TRY! I CAN'T LET ANYBODY ELSE GET HURT BY THESE MOSNTERS!" she yelled, scaring the Khajiit. Letting out a sigh, Ashpyre reach to her waist and retrieved one of the belts from her leather armor. This confused Inari as swung it over the bars at the top of the cell.

"If you want to get out of here, follow my lead" Ashpyre explained, tying the end of the belt into the shape of a noose.

"SOMEBODY HELP!" Inari called out in horror, alarming the Nord guard to gasp out in surprise. Quickly running to their cell, he froze in fear at what he saw inside. Hanging from the ceiling, was Ashpyre, slowly swinging back and forth from the belt tied around her neck. Inari instantly ran to the cell door, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"YOU HAVE TO HELP HER!" she begged, putting worry into the heart of the guard.

"Hold on, I'll cut her down" the guards reassured, fumbling with the key before placing it in the lock and opening the cell door. Running inside, he reached for his dagger and went to cut the belt. However, before he could even react, Ashpyre's eyes shot open and she swung her legs out, wrapping them around his neck and muffling his cries. Inari winced when she heard a small crack as Ashpyre jolted her legs to the left, breaking the guard's neck.

"Now, get me down from here" she gasped as she let the guard's lifeless body drop to the ground, his face contorted into a look of shock. Picking up the dropped dagger, Inari reached up and cut the belt in half, allowing Ashpyre to drop back down to the cell floor, gasping for breath.

"Good acting" she commented as Inari wiped her tears away.

"Anytime. Now let's get out of here" she replied with a grin as she tossed her the dagger, permitting Ashpyre to catch it by the handle. Slowly, the two of them made their way up the stone steps, making sure not to make any noises which were sure to echo off of the stone walls. Reaching the top of the stairwell, they reached a wooden door, the sounds of screaming now sounding closer. Gesturing for Inari to be quiet, Ashpyre opened it slightly and peeked through the crack to observe the room. In the corner, she could see Grail asleep on his bed roll, the only movement being his chest as it rose and dropped with each breath. Suddenly, the door beside the fireplace opened, causing Ashpyre to close the door slimly, just in case she gave herself and Inari away. The Breton and the Orc exited the torture room, big grins plastered on their faces.

"When do you think he's going to crack?" the Breton asked as she closed the door behind them.

"Soon enough. He'll tell us where his stash is after a few more...sessions" the Orc joked darkly, getting a chuckle from his comrade.

"By that time, he'll probably be begging for mercy" she assumed as the two headed past the hanging corpses into another room, closing the door behind them. Slowly, Ashpyre fully pushed open the door she hid behind, keeping her eyes on Grail in case he made any sudden moves. The two of them began sneaking over to the door of the torture room, pushing it open and recoiling at the foul stench. Inari was too distracted by the hanging corpses to notice, she was still in shock over how these monsters displayed their "trophies". Ashpyre noticed this and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"There's nothing you could have done for them" she reminded, getting a sad nod from the Wood Elf as she followed the Khajiit into the dimly lit room. Closing the partially blood-stained door, both gasped at what they saw. Two ropes had been attached to stone hooks on the wall; the other ends of these ropes were tied to the wrists of a teenage Nord. He was leaning forward, the top part of his armor removed and thrown to the floor, revealing his cut chest, now coated with a fresh layer of blood. Inari knelt down in front of him and grabbed one of his shoulders.

"By the Gods, he's just a kid" Ashpyre gasped as she joined her companion.

"C'mon, sweetie. Wake up" she bid softly, holding her breath as she waited for a response. As the boy's green eyes fluttered open, he slowly looked up at the two, fear brimming in his voice as he spoke.

"Please...no more..." he begged, his voice barely a whisper. Ashpyre retrieved her dagger one more and started to cut his bindings.

"Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you" Inari said comfortingly as his left arm was freed from the wall, soon followed by the other. Falling forward, Inari swiftly caught him, feeling the set blood stick to her robes as she helped him stand back up.

"Why did they bring you here?" Ashpyre asked, placing her blade back in its sheath. Taking in deep breaths, the boy reached down to his upper armor and picked it up.

"I made the mistake of trying to steal from them. They caught me and took me here" he explained as he slipped his arms into the sleeves and began to buckle up the front.

"But why were they torturing you?" Inari asked, briefly glancing back at the wall which the boy had previously been tethered to.

"They assumed that I had a stash of stolen items nearby. They didn't believe me when they said that I didn't" he continued, strapping up the last buckle of his armor and looking back up at his saviors.

"Do you?" Ashpyre asked, crossing her arms indicatively. This caused a look of embarrassment to spread across the boy's face.

"Well...yes. But that's not the point" he continued, trying to change the subject.

"At least you're safe now, Mr..." Inari trailed off, awaiting the announcement of his name.

"Talon. My name's Talon" he greeted, putting on his best grin despite the circumstances.  
"I'm Inari and this is Ashpyre" Inari replied, gesturing to her companion.

"Nice to meet you both. So, have you got a plan to get us out of here?" Talon asked, reminding them of the current situation.

"Don't worry, their leader's asleep and the other two are in their quarters. We can just slip out without a problem" Ashpyre explained, emphasizing the simplicity of their plan.  
"What about the other guy? The one who guards the cells? I saw him earlier" Talon asked curiously, making sure they'd gone over every point.

"He won't be any trouble; I snapped his neck back in the cells" Ashpyre explained, yet Talon still had questions.

"But what about when they change shifts?" he asked, this question was the one that worried the other two.

"They change shifts?" Inari asked anxiously, worried about the outcome.

"Yeah, I overheard them earlier. Every few hours, one of other guys goes down and..." Talon trailed off, realizing the horrible mistake they'd made. Instantly, both the Wood Elf and the Khajiit exchanged looks of compunction.

"GRAIL, THEY'VE ESCAPED!" the Breton's voice shouted from below, a shout which put fear into each of their souls.

"We've got to get out of here. C'mon!" Ashpyre ordered before heading back over to the door, followed closely by the other two. However, before exiting the torture chamber, Talon grabbed his satchel from beside the door where the bandits had previously dumped it. Opening the door, the group heard the sound of footsteps from the stairwell leading to the cells. Quickly, Inari ran to the door and slammed it shut. Snapping her fingers, a fireball erupted from her palm as she moved her hand along the metal edge of the door, melting it shut. Suddenly, loud banging was heard from the other side as the Breton tried to free herself.

"GRAIL! GRAIL!" she shouted, this time awakening the sleeping chief as he opened his eyes. Sitting upright, he gazed in anger at the group of prisoners as they froze in fear.

"TYLIN-GOR, GET OUT HERE! THE PRISONERS HAVE ESCAPED!" Grail shouted, seconds before the door to his recruits' quarters burst open, revealing the Orc, a steel war-axe in his grip.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING OUT OF HERE ALIVE!" the Orc announced, closing is on the group as Grail retrieved a steel dagger from his belt. Abruptly, the door which Inari had shut broke into wooden fragments as the Breton blew it open, embers of electricity dancing across her hands. As the Orc charged at them, Ashpyre charged straight back, sliding across the ground under him and giving him a deep cut across his inner thigh. Crying out, the Orc fell to the ground, snarling irritably at his enemy's damage. Instantly, Talon went for Grail retrieving his dagger from his satchel as he ran. But as he brought it down, Grail blocked it with his own blade, his face contorted into a look of rage. Seeing her opportunity, the Breton aimed her hand at Talon, getting ready to strike him with another bolt of lightning. But before she could even take her shot, a bolt of fire skimmed her ear, hitting the wall behind her in a burst of cinders. She glared at Inari as she stood smugly, a small fireball hovering in her grasp.

"Pick on someone your own level of Spell Casting" Launching another fireball at her opponent, only for it to be deflected as the Breton summoned a Greater Ward, causing the fireball to hit a bottle of wine beside Grail's bed. Instantly, a small explosion occurred, sending patches of fire across the room. Quickly, the fire began to spread up the walls, soon to engulf the ceiling. Bringing down her dagger into the back of the Orc's head, killing him instantly, Ashpyre noticed the damage of the fireball and turned to her Wood Elf companion.

"This place is going to burn to the ground, we have to get out of here" she called as Inari blocked another lightning bolt with her own ward.  
"I'm a little busy right now" she called out, knowing that she couldn't hold the ward up for much longer. And as for the Breton, she smiled, knowing that her opponent was mere seconds from death. But Ashpyre frowned, knowing that she couldn't let that happen.

"Hey, Breton!" she called, distracting Inari's opponent and causing her to lose focus. Grinning, Inari took her chance and launched a final fireball. The Breton gasped in shock at the fireball hurtling towards her, hitting her in the head before she could even move. Grimacing, Inari and Ashpyre watched as her lifeless body slumped to the ground, a charred nub where her head used to be. On the other side of the room, Grail knocked the blade of Talon's hand and took a swing at him, only for Talon to jump back, his face illuminated by the flames as they slowly filled the room. Raising his leg, Talon kicked Grail in the hand, causing him to drop his blade amidst a gasp of hurt. Swiftly, Talon proceeded to kick the dagger across the floor and into the flames, causing the metal to turn a light shade of red. Snarling, Grail brought up a fist and hit Talon square in the nose, he cried out as he brought his hands to his face, blood gushing out of his left nostril.

"Talon!" Ashpyre called out as he staggered backwards, looking up at the two of them as they observed his beating.

"I'll meet you outside, just go!" he directed, getting reluctant looks from his friends as they made their way over to the stairwell which led them out, taking one last glance back before making their way up. Talon cried out as Grail continued to beat him, first in the face, then the stomach, then the face again until Talon fell to the ground, sprawled out on the floor as he looked up at his opponent, the sight of the fire illuminating in the red of his eyes.

"Have you any last words, boy?" he asked menacingly, raising his foot above Talon's head. Spitting crimson on the ground he laid on, Talon looked back up at the High Elf, putting on his best attempt at a smile.

"You wish" he said before Grail brought his foot down. However, Talon grabbed it, inches away from his face before shoving it backwards, causing Grail to fall back on the floor. Quickly regaining his footing, Talon limped over to the hanging bodies, turning back to see Grail back on his feet.

"You ignorant little wretch" he insulted, heading over to Talon as he hid behind a body. Giving it all his might, Talon pulled the body down from its noose, allowing it to drop to the floor. As Grail threw another punch at the young Nord, Talon leapt up onto the wooden table beside the bodies, angering the High Elf even further. As Grail climbed up after him, Talon grabbed the empty noose out of the air and quickly pulled over Grail's head. Then, as Grail tried to pull it off, Talon kicked him straight in the chest, sending him off the table and leaving him to swing back and forth, gasping for air as the rope cut off his airways. As the fire continued to devour the room, Talon leapt down from the table and ran for the door, leaping over the line of fire as he did so.

"Get back...here...you little...bastard!" Grail gasped as he pulled at the noose around his neck, all the while glaring at Talon as he gave him an unsympathetic look. Turning around, Talon started making his way up the steps, leaving Grail behind as he cried out in anger, wasting his last ounce of breath as the fire continued to blaze, licking at his feet as they thrashed helplessly. Emerging into the night, Talon's gaze rested upon Inari and Ashpyre as they watched him exit the burning fort, a small pillar of smoke rising from the exit behind him. Looking back, expecting to see Grail emerge any second, Inari turned to look at Talon.

"He didn't make it?" she asked, getting a guilty nod from the thief as he looked at the ground.

"Did you have to..." Ashpyre trailed off, hoping that he'd catch on to what she meant. He did. And he nodded like before. Sighing, Inari placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, giving him a look of understanding.

"Will you be okay?" Ashpyre asked, trying to sound sympathetic. Looking up at the Khajiit, Talon nodded solemnly, letting out a sigh.

"I just...want to be alone for a little while" he requested, getting sympathetic nods from both of them.

"We were going to leave anyway. Will you be okay by yourself?" Inari asked, getting a grin from the teenage Nord.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine" he replied, causing similar grins to spread across their faces. Stepping forward, Inari held out her hand, allowing Talon to shake it.

"Thanks for saving me" Talon thanked, getting a smile from the Wood Elf.

"No problem" she replied, permitting Ashpyre to step forward next.

"Stay out of trouble, boy" she warned jokingly, giving Talon a playful punch on the arm. Still grinning, Talon watched as the two of them walked away into the night. Then, just as they disappeared from view, Talon reached into his satchel and retrieved an item. The one item that he'd managed to steal before getting caught: a map. All over the map where red crosses, scattered about the province in random locations. Rolling the map back up, he placed it back in his satchel and started walking away from the burning fort. However, as he exited the abandoned courtyard, he took once last look at the fort as it was engulfed in flames.

"_One down_" he thought as he turned away, heading to his next terminus.

**A/N: More coming soon.**

**Inari – created by Jess-amorfati.**

**Ashpyre – created by Ashpyre.**

**Grail – created by me.**

**Laters**

**-7**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Spelunking

**- South of Windhelm -**

"One...two...three!" Midrethe counted down before her, Talon and Naoii gave the boulder a final push, rolling it out of the way and revealing the cave's opening. Brushing the mixture of moss and dust off of their hands, the group peered into the darkness, the lack of light messing with their vision.

"Are you sure this is the cave?" Naoii asked, redirecting her gaze at the blonde-haired High Elf, catching her attention.

"It has to be. There aren't any others nearby" Midrethe replied, raising up her hand and watching as her palm started glowing brightly. Sure enough, a hovering light rose from her hand and floated above it: a candlelight spell.

"Come on" she instructed, stepping into the darkness and heading through the empty cave, her candlelight illuminating their path. Talon headed down after her, lastly followed by Naoii. The sounds of water dropping from the ceiling filled their ears as they headed down the narrow tunnel, the moisture on the walls shining as the candlelight glimmered against it. At the end of the tunnel was a little drop which was easy to climb down, leading into a larger part of the cave, stalactites hanging from the limestone ceiling. Not only that, but the cave had light filling it from a large hole above them, making the use of candlelight pointless. Clenching her hand shut, the candlelight extinguished itself, allowing both of her hands to be of use to her. Slowly, she started to climb down the small drop, using small crevasses as hand holds for making her way down. Copying her actions, Talon and Naoii followed her down and joined her at the bottom of the climb.

"This way. We must be getting close now" Midrethe insisted, making Talon roll his eyes in monotony.

"Are you sure?" he asked, triggering Midrethe to turn back to face him as she walked.

"Of course I'm sure. Now be quiet, I didn't pay you to speak" she replied, once again reminding him of the deal he'd made with her. She'd approached him at Candlehearth Hall in Windhelm and offered him a job by helping her find a rare artifact: The Tattoo of Empress Kintyra. Years ago in Elsweyr, on the fifteenth of Rain's Hand, Rajhin, Thief God of the Khajiit, sneaked into the Empress's chamber as she slept and poured a special concoction down her throat, designed to numb the subject's body completely, preventing them from feeling any sort of pain. Then, once the potion had taken effect, he took out his dagger and cut the tattoo from her neck without waking her whatsoever. However, he was spotted by a group of guards and was forced to make a hasty escape. Reaching the city's docks, he easily evaded the guards and stowed away on a boat to Skyrim. A couple of days later, he arrived in Windhelm and abandoned the boat before anybody found him. Heading south, he found an abandoned passage in the side of a hill and made his way inside, never to be seen again. As you'd expect, people deterred this as a myth, but Midrethe wasn't taking her chances. She'd offered both Talon and Naoii one thousand gold each if they accompanied her on this venture, to which they eagerly accepted. Naoii was a Lynx-eared Khajiit wearing a set of leather armor, an iron dagger attached to her belt. She'd already been hired by Midrethe when they were first introduced. However, if Talon had known how much of a bitch Midrethe would act like, he probably wouldn't have agreed to join them.  
"Actually, you haven't even paid me yet" he reminded, causing a look of irritation spread across Midrethe's face.

"Keep talking back to me and you won't be getting paid at all" she threatened, slightly angering Talon.

"_Fetcher_" he whispered. Unfortunately, Midrethe heard him. She'd heard that insult lots of times by drunks and people who overall hated her kind. This word was an extremely offensive term for a High Elf. Stopping in her tracks, Midrethe turned to face the Nord thief, flames burning in her eyes.

"What did you just call me?" she questioned, her tone filled to the brim with anger.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Don't you like that word?" Talon mockingly asked in response, angering the High Elf even further.

"That word isn't just an insult to me, Nord. It's an insult to my people" Midrethe retorted glaring down at him due to her tall stature.

"I have a name, you Altmer bitch. I prefer you use it" Talon defended, narrowing his eyebrows at her as she took in every word he fired from his mouth.

"So do I, you Nordic son of a bitch. Now shut up before I launch an ice spike up your ass" she replied, raising her hand as if she was threatening to conjure one.

"Bring it on, I have more scars than you have equal rights" Talon continued, retrieving his dagger from his belt.

"ENOUGH! Both of you!" Naoii interrupted, surprising both the Nord and the High Elf. She headed over and stood between them.

"He started it" Midrethe insisted, kick starting yet another argument.

"Only cause you-" Talon tried to retaliate before Naoii cut them off again.

"I SAID ENOUGH!" she reminded, silencing the two of them again, the only sound being water droplets as they dripped from the ceiling.

"If this keeps going on, you'll both be dead before you even reach that tattoo. And don't think you're both right, because you're not" she continued, looking back and forth between them.

"Midrethe, you can't act like this towards us. We're not slaves, we're followers" she said, craning her neck upwards to get a good view of the High Elf's face.

"And Talon, you should know how offensive that word is. How would you feel if somebody insulted your race?" she asked, causing Talon to divert his gaze at the ground, realizing the mistake he'd made.

"Now, both of you apologize" Naoii instructed, stepping back from the two of them and crossing her arms. Letting out a sigh, Midrethe was the first one to speak.

"I'm sorry I acted like a bitch" she apologized, silently awaiting Talon's response.

"I'm sorry I called you...that word" he replied, amazingly getting a smile to spread across the High Elf's face.

"Good, now let's get going" Naoii suggested, getting nods of agreement from the other two adventurers. Setting off again, Midrethe guided them through the tunnel, allowing Talon and Naoii to hang back. Glancing at the young Nord's face, she was surprised to see a lot of bruises, most of them were almost done healing.

"What happened to your face?" she asked, catching the thief's attention.

"Oh, nothing much. Just had a run in with the wrong crowd of people" he answered, quickly ending the conversation as the three of them notice coming from the chamber up ahead. Entering the colossal cave structure, they were amazed at what they saw. Through a hole in the ceiling, a bright light shone through onto the stony ground they stood on. In the center of the room was a large pedestal constructed out of multiple rocks. And sitting right at the top was a pure, white stone. But it wasn't the stone which amazed them, it was the hand which was grabbing hold of it. Instantly, the group made their forward, oblivious to the strange mounds of earth placed around the edges of the cave, strange markings painstakingly chiseled into stone wall above them. As the group approached the pedestal, they slowed their pace as they noticed a horrific sight beside it. Attached to the stone was the hand of a skeleton, attached to this hand was an arm, coated in leather. And attached to this arm was a skeleton, wearing an ensemble of leather armor with a burlap hood covering the head. Approaching the skeleton, the three of them exchanged looks of concern, mentally choosing who'd approach it first. Letting out a sigh, Naoii stepped towards the skeletal remains, slowly extending her hand towards the hood. Her hand shaking, she quickly gripped the hood and yanked it back, letting out a scream of fright as the head fell off and landed at her feet. Kneeling down, Talon picked up the skull and examined it, from what he could see, this wasn't a human skull. To make sure his diagnosis was correct, he stood back up and headed around to the back of the skeleton, examining where the spinal cord usually ended. As he predicted, a long, skeletal, feline tail was poking out through the bottom of his trousers.

"No doubt about it. This is that Rajhin guy you were talking about" he confirmed, glancing at the High Elf. Bemused, Midrethe looked down at Rajhin's remains, noticing a small satchel sitting at his feet.

"Check his bag, maybe he hid the tattoo in there" she assumed, turning to face Naoii. Obeying, she knelt down and sifted through the dusty items, every now and then grimacing at the sight of rotted food.

"Is it in there?" Talon asked, wondering if their efforts had been in vain.

"Nope. But this might tell us where it is" Naoii replied as her hands emerged from the bag, a dusty crimson book held in her grasp. Blowing off the think layer of dust, Naoii took a moment to gawk at the small R painted in the bottom left corner of the cover. As she opened the book, Talon and Midrethe gathered behind her to get a look at what was written inside. On every page there was a date and an entry, a journal entry.

"This must be his journal. Go to the end, it might tell us where the tattoo is" Talon suggested, to which Naoii obeyed and skimmed through to the last page. On the final page was a short entry, written in ink, which by the look of it had been running short when he'd started writing. It read:

_To the unfortunate soul who is reading this_

_If you have found my body, then you must be searching for the Empress's tattoo._

_You see, this cave was once a worshiping place of the Daedric Prince, Hircine. _

_But his followers defied him, so he killed them and condemned their corpses to this cave, forever forced to defend it from intruders like me. _

_Not only that, but the corpses of those who came here before me also haunt this dreadful place. _

_To make sure that the tattoo did not rot away, I used a special burning incantation I had specially designed to meld it into the white stone on top of this pedestal. _

_But I am not going to become like them, for you see, if I take my own life, it will not be condemned here like the others. _

_Unlike them, I will pass on._

_Therefore, I will drink this vial of frostbite venom before they come for me._

_If only you could escape the same fate, for you see, they will come for you soon enough._

_It is only a matter of time._

_They are getting closer, I need to finish this entry now._

_May the Divines have mercy on my soul._

_-R_

Simultaneously finishing the passage, the three of them exchanged looks of dread. Redirecting his gaze, Talon grabbed the skeletal hand and removed it from where it laid, revealing a tattoo of a blue mountain flower, perfectly melded into the white surface of the stone like a painting. However, before any of them could lay a hand on it, the sounds of angry groaning echoed off of the damp, stone walls, sending chills down each of their spines. Suddenly, from one of the mounds of earth, a rotting hand burst forth, a rusty, metal sword held tight in its grasp. Then, a second hand copied it, gripping hold of the stony ground as it dragged the rest of the corpse out of the ground. A black rope with white lining the sleeves and hood covered the body of the corpse as it emerged from the dirt, its decaying face caked in dirt and worms. As it started liming towards them, more and more of them began to climb out of their "graves", a majority of them wearing matching robes. As for the others, the clothes they wore varied from armor to civilian clothing to just plain rags, these must've been the people who'd arrived before them. Slowly, the assorted corpses closed in around the group, putting expressions of horror on each of their faces.

"Split up. We'll take them out in groups" Naoii suggested, getting nods of correspondence from each of her allies. Quickly, the three of them split up, causing the corpses to split up, closing in on each one, their dead eyes showing no emotion at all. Talon was in bigger trouble, the one that was coming after him was wielding a steel battle-axe, the blade drenched in the dried blood of the previous visitors. As the zombie took a swing at Talon, he jumped back, accidentally falling against the pedestal and causing the white stone to drop down, landing just in his reach.

"TALON, BE CAREFUL!" Midrethe called out as she hit one of the corpses in the chest with an ice spike. Looking to the left, Talon's gaze rested upon the stone, a strange, emerald green aura now surrounding it, befuddling him as he was captivated by its unnatural glow. As he reached out to grab it, the corpse with the battle-axe raised his weapon above his head and prepared to bring it down.

"WATCH OUT!" Naoii warned as Talon's hand gripped the stone, just before the corpse brought down the battle-axe. However, before it could strike Talon, a bright flash of green light blinded him. But when he regained his sight, he was surprised to see Talon missing from where he'd previously been laying. Hearing a grunt from the other side of the cave, every person in the room, both living and dead, turned to look in that direction. Talon was now on the other side of the cave, still trying to figure out what had just happened.

"What...was that?" he asked, turning to his friend. But they were too speechless to respond, for some reason, everybody was staring at him. Looking down into a puddle, his eyes widened at what he saw staring back. The same green aura which had been surrounding the stone was now surrounding Talon's body, illuminating the area around him like a torch. Not only that, but his previously dark green eyes were now glowing brightly.

"_Okay, this is cool_" he thought as he brought his hand to eye level and flexed his fingers, watching with intrigue as the green aura blurred with each movement of his body. Losing his focus, he redirected his gaze at the corpse with the battle-axe as it charged at him, its remaining teeth deforming into an angry expression and its weapon held above its head, ready to strike. Fearing the worst, Talon suddenly darted to the left, once again followed by a green flash as he reappeared a few feet away. Clearly angered, the corpse let out an inhuman scream as it missed its target once more. Retrieving his dagger from his belt, Talon stampeded towards the corpse, his speed significantly increased by whatever energy the stone was producing. With another blinding flash, Talon stood still, his knife still in his grasp. Then, as if by magic, the head of the corpse dropped to the ground, followed by its weapon, then finally, its body. Nobody in the cave could believe it, he'd been so fast, they didn't even see him move. All of a sudden, each corpse in the room ignored their previous targets and had started making their way towards Talon, their assorted weapons prepared for combat. Looking from the corpses to the stone, a grin spread across Talon's face.

"Oh, is this what you want?" he asked jokingly, his only responses being growls and snarls. Looking over to Midrethe, he called out.

"Let's play Keep Away! Catch!" he called out, hurling the stone at the High Elf. On impulse, Midrethe caught it with both hands, letting out a gasp as the same green aura which had surrounded Talon engulfed her form. Looking over, she saw that the aura had left Talon, returning him to his normal self. It seemed that whoever was holding stone inherited the amazing speed and power. Grinning, she held up her palm and watched as three separate lightning bolts shot out of her palm at once, all of them hitting a separate corpse in the head, killing them instantly. But there were still three left, closing in on both her and the stone.

"Naoii, here!" she called out to the Khajiit, just as she threw the stone in her direction. Reacting quickly, Naoii took a running jump and caught the stone in mid-flight, dropping into a roll as she landed. Sure enough, her body was instantly submerged in the magical green glow. Without a worry, she walked up to one of the corpses, pulled their sword out of their grasp and snapped it in half like a twig. Then, grabbing the corpse by its head and lifting up off of the ground, she jerked her arm back and threw it forward into the other two corpses, causing all of them to fly backwards into the cave wall, shattering them into bones and dust. Grouping together in front of the pedestal, Inari placed the stone back on top of it, the glow leaving her body and returning to the stone. Nervously, the group exchanged quizzical looks, all confused about what to do next.

"This is really weird. How can a stone do this anyway?" Talon asked, expecting one of the others to answer.

"_I think I can answer that_" a spectral voice answered instead, causing each of the group to turn in the direction it had come from. Standing behind them, his body bathed in white, was a Khajiit, wearing the same armor as the skeleton beside them.

"You...you're Rajhin" Naoii whispered as he made his way past them, standing beside the skeleton, his eyes refusing to turn away from it.

"_Yes, I am. And I want to thank the three of you_" he explained, confusing the three of them.

"Thank us for what?" Midrethe asked, still amazed at the fact that she was talking to a spirit.

"_Those monsters you faced weren't just empty shells of those before me, they were keeping me here. You see, when I died, my soul was transferred inside the stone, giving anybody who touched my advanced abilities which would then be combined with their own, giving them ultimate power_" he continued, looking from corpse to the stone on the pedestal, the green glow still shining brightly.

"Well, that explains the powers. But what happens to the souls of the others?" Talon asked, looking around at the corpses which littered the cave.

"_They have failed Hircine. Therefore, he no longer has any use for them. They can now pass over to Sovngarde_" Rajhin continued, following his gaze. Then, as if on cue, the spirits of the corpses rose from the deteriorating bodies, vanishing into thin air soon after. But before the final one left, he looked at the group with a smile.

"_Thank you_" he whispered, waving goodbye as he faded away, finally put to rest. Turning from where the corpse had previously stood, the group turned back to look at Rajhin who, unlike the other spirits, remained in place.

"What about you? Why don't you pass over?" Naoii asked, just as concerned as the others.

"_I'm still going to need my soul back_" Rajhin answered, looking from the stone to the group inquisitively. Trading looks of agreement, the group turned to face the remaining spirit.

"Go ahead. We won't be needing it" Midrethe answered benevolently, getting a smile to cross over the spirit's face as he reached out and placed his hand on the stone, the green energy travelling up his arm and causing the light surrounding the stone to dim. As he began to fade, he looked to the group for a final time as they watched with awe.

"_Divines bless your kind hearts_" he whispered, right before he vanished, leaving this life and travelling to the next. As he did so, the green light finally faded from the stone, finally emptied of the thief's soul. Reaching out slowly, Talon took the stone in his grasp and checked for any physical abnormalities.

"Empty. His soul's definitely gone" he said, tossing it to Midrethe who caught it on instinct. Looking over the stone, she smiled to see that it was unharmed. Running a finger over the markings of the tattoo, she looked up at the other two with a loom of gratefulness.

"Thank you so much. Now, let's get out of here" she suggested, to which Talon and Naoii nodded with agreement. Heading back through the chamber and the tight passage, the group shivered as the cold, snow air chilled their skins, no better than the damp and cold of the cave. Turning to her accomplices, Midrethe reached into her satchel, the sounds of metal clinking filling the air. When her hand reemerged, she held a small, burlap sack in her grasp. Holding it out to Naoii, she allowed it to drop into her clutches, a grin spreading across her feline face. Reaching in again and retrieving another sack, she placed it in Talon hand, her heart warming up as she saw his trademark grin spread across his lip.

"You've both earned this. I couldn't have done this without you" she thanked, reaching back to her side to close her satchel.

"No problem" Naoii replied, slipping her knapsack from her shoulder and placing the sack inside.

"Don't mention it" Talon seconded, placing the bag in his own satchel, flicking his hair out of his eyes. Saying their final goodbyes, the group parted, each member heading their own separate direction, silently hoping that they'd meet again soon.

**- Later that night -**

As the rain thundered down on the grassy tundra, a boy sat under a big, oak tree, its thick branches sheltering him from the scratching of the rain drops. Using a small fire for light, Talon studied the map in his hands, trying to figure which of the circled locations was the closest. Scanning the area around where he was camping, his finger rested upon one of the locations, hidden up in the mountains, a perfect hiding spot. Slowly, the boy exhaled, looking out into the storm as if he was looking into Oblivion, nothing but darkness and pain as far as the eye could see.

**A/N: More coming soon.**

**Midrethe – created by crowfood.**

**Naoii** **– created by** **HitMeWithBrokenLeave.**

**Laters**

**-7**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Talon vs. the Dark Brotherhood

**- The Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary –**

The room was made of stone, once just an ordinary cave. But now it had changed, there were beds, tables and one living figure. An Albino Khajiit with long, black hair and piercings on either side of her ears. She wore the trademark armor of the Dark Brotherhood, red and black with the occasional line of studs. She sighed whilst twirling her dagger in her hand, looking up at the ceiling as she lied down on the bed. Suddenly, a burning sensation spread over her forehead, one of the major side-effects of vampirism. Placing her dagger by her side, she reached under her wooden bed and retrieved a silver vial, the outline of a serpent carved on the side. Opening the top, she tilted her head back and swallowed its contents, the pain in her head receding as the copper-tasting liquid flowed down the back of her throat. Blood. Precious blood. A vampire's life source. Placing the top of the vial back on, she put it back under her bed, just before she heard footsteps heading her way. Sure enough, a Wood Elf entered the room, her smile coating her face.

"What's with the face? Have you been drinking again?" the Khajiit asked, sitting up on her bed, her legs placed over the side.

"Yes. But that's not what I'm happy about" the Wood Elf answered as she stumbled over to the Khajiit's bed, proving her first point. Rolling her eyes, the Khajiit watched as the Wood Elf placed a piece of paper in-between them, a contract.

"Nazir gave it to me a minute ago" the Wood Elf explained, her breath causing the Khajiit to fan it away, she could smell both the ale and the wine.

"So, who're we after, Kai?" the Khajiit asked, looking down at the contract between them, her red eyes moving as she read each word.

"His name's Talon Nightshade. Some thief who messed with the wrong group of people" Kai explained, tapping the part of the contract where the name had been written. Reading ahead, the Khajiit's eyes fell upon the section which explained his race and etc.

"Ugh... I hate Nords. Count me in" she insisted, reaching down to pick up her dagger and placing it back in her belt.

"I thought you would once you saw that" Kai replied, rolling the paper up into a roll.

**- The next day, halfway between Dawnstar and Whiterun -**

The large tree was perfect protection from the sun as Talon sat under it, checking his location on his map. Just West of where he was resting, he could see a location which had been circled in red, the place he'd been heading to. Figuring that he deserved a rest, Talon rolled the map back up and placed it back in his satchel. Raising his palm, he focused as a ball of magelight emerged, glowing brightly and causing him to squint briefly. Focusing, he decided to give it another practice. After all, it wouldn't hurt. Focusing, he slowly whistled the first verse of 'The Dragonborn Comes'. He waited...but still nothing happened. Groaning, he threw his head back, letting out a gasp of pain as he unintentionally brought it back against the bark of the tree.

"_C'mon, you can do this. Just focus_" he thought to himself as he held the magelight up to eye level. Concentrating, he whistled the same verse once more, awaiting the reaction of the magelight. Then, like he'd been practicing, the magelight made a sound, like when you dip a finger in water and run it around the rim of a glass. Amazingly, the sound copied the pitch of the verse Talon had whistled. Clenching his hand shut in success, the magelight disappeared as Talon let out a celebratory whoop. But his happiness didn't last long. A rustle in the bushes ruined it for him. Moving his head to the left, he spotted something. The light was reflecting off of something metal. The metal tip of an arrow. His eyes widening in fear, Talon quickly moved out of the way, just before the arrow flew out on the pushes and lodged itself in the tree, right where his head had previously been resting. Looking from the arrow to the bushes, Talon watched with narrowed eyes as a Khajiit emerged, wearing Dark Brotherhood armor with a bow in one hand. Quickly regaining his footing, Talon reached for his belt and pulled out his dagger.

"What do you want?" he ordered, not taking his eyes off of his attacker.

"Somebody wants you dead, boy. We're just fulfilling orders" the Khajiit replied, reaching back into her quiver and pulling out another arrow. Pulling it back in the bow, she pulled the string back and released it, launching the arrow at Talon. Moving to the left, Talon bit his lower lip as the tip grazed his upper arm, leaving a tear in his unique leather armor and a cut which was made visible through the tear. Before the Khajiit could take out another arrow, Talon ran forward, retrieved his dagger and cut her across the back of the hand. As she cried out, she lost her grip on her bow, allowing Talon to grab it and snap it in half over his knee. Hissing at the young thief, the Khajiit retrieved her own dagger and took a swing at him. Jumping back, Talon blocked her dagger with his own as she took another swipe. Hearing footsteps from behind, Talon shoved the Khajiit back; causing her to stumble and leaving him time to see who was trying to sneak up behind him. Standing behind him, wearing the same set of Dark Brotherhood armor, was a Wood Elf, wielding dual daggers and glaring at the Nord. Looking back and forth between the two of them, a bead of sweat trickled down Talon's forehead as they began to close in on him. Him vs. Two Dark Brotherhood assassins: Not good.

"Any last words, Nord?" the Khajiit asked, her feline mouth warping into a grin, bearing her sharp, jagged teeth. Now getting scared, Talon knew that he couldn't find a way out. That is, until he saw what was flying overhead.

"What in Oblivion is that?" he asked, a large shadow cloaking the stone path the three of them stood upon. Following his gaze, Kai and the Khajiit gasped in horror as the scaled beast let out a ball of fire into the air, an unearthly roar escaped between the gaps of its serrated teeth as it began to swoop down towards them.

"DRAGON!" Kai called out as the three of them ducked down, the dragon's teeth scarcely missing them. Watching as it flew back up to a higher level of altitude, Talon gasped as he realized its intentions.

"It's coming back!" Talon called out, watching as the beast flew in a perfect circle and started flying back towards them. On impulse, Kai dived behind a large boulder by the side of the road, leaving Talon and the Khajiit to leap out of the way as the dragon unleashed a torrent of fire upon the two of them, leaving a large, scorched mark in the road. Realizing that this was his only chance of escape, he began making a run for it, unfortunately noticed by the Khajiit as she gave chase.

"You're not getting away that easily" she hissed, her outstretched arm inches from Talon's shoulder.

"ASHIRA, LOOK OUT!" Kai called out to the Khajiit as the dragon flew down towards her. Turning around, Ashira gasped as the dragon pinned her down beneath one of his large claws, pinning her to the ground. Turning around to see what had happened, Talon smiled as he saw the situation the two assassins were in, allowing him to take his leave. However, before he turned around, he observed the scene a little while longer, wanting to see what would become of his opponents.

"GET OFF OF ME!" Ashira screamed as she squirmed in the dragon's grip, her protests useless against the ancient monstrosity. Quickly, the dragon looked down at the Khajiit, anger seething in its pupils.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" Kai called out as she tried to make a break for her friend, but the dragon simply fanned out its wings, knocking her back to the ground.

"Ashira, I can't get close enough!" Kai called out sadly, fearing the outcome of her failed attempt to save her. Knowing what would happen, Talon glanced once down the road to freedom, then back at the trapped Khajiit. He sighed, knowing that he couldn't leave her there. If he did, he'd be just as bad as they were. He knew that they'd probably kill him afterwards, but he wasn't just going to watch as the Khajiit was torn to shred.

"HEY, DRAGON!" he called out as he ran towards it, easily capturing its attention.  
"KISS MY TIGHT, NORDIC ASS!" he finished as he leapt up onto the dragon's neck, grabbed it by the horns and gave them a strong tug, causing it to roar in pain as it released its grip on Ashira. Rolling away from the dragon, Ashira watched in astonishment as Talon kept a tight grip on the dragon's horns, riding it like and untamed horse as it tried to shake him off.

"That kid's inane" Kai thought as she observed the scene, not taking her eyes off Talon as he tried his best to keep his balance. Suddenly, the dragon swung its head backwards, sending Talon up in the air. Then, as he fell, the dragon caught him in its teeth, causing both Ashira and Kai to gasp as a sickening crunch filled their ears. Ashira covered her mouth with her hands as Talon's body went limp, his eyes rolling back inside his head as they fluttered shut. Then, swinging its head to the left, the dragon released the body from its mouth and flung it to the ground, landing a few feet away from where Kai had been nestled behind the boulder. Narrowing her eyes, Kai glared at the dragon as it let out another deafening roar.

"YOU BASTARD!" she yelled as she retrieved her dual daggers and ran straight at the dragon. Leaping over its neck, she drove the first dagger into its left eye, then drove the second one into its right eye. Crying out in pain, the dragon started swinging its head back and forth, trying to cope with its loss of eyesight. Taking her chance, Ashira ran for the dragons face and swung around on its neck, landing in the same riding position Talon had been in moments ago. Veering back in anger, Ashira swung around to the front of the dragon's neck, thrust her dagger into its throat and began to slide down the front of the dragon, cutting it open and causing its gargantuan entrails to spill out. Landing back on the ground, Ashira quickly moved backwards, allowing the dragon to slump down onto the road. Motionless. Still. Dead. As a large pool of blood began to emerge from the dragon's torn open throat, Ashira took in deep breaths, relieved that it was finally over. Looking over to her friend, she gasped to see Kai knelt down beside Talon's corpse, checking him for signs of life. Heading over to her, she kept her distance, awaiting Kai's diagnosis. Standing up, Kai slowly turned to face the Khajiit, her eyes looking at the ground with sadness.

"Is he..." Ashira began, looking past her comrade to get a better view of the thief's corpse, large tears in his armor revealing the deepness of the dragon's bite. After a brief pause, Kai nodded, turning around to look at the body.

"What do we do with him?" Kai asked, looking to her friend for guidance.

"He saved my life. He deserves a proper burial" Ashira replied, turning to face the Wood Elf. Nodding in response, Kai made her way back over to the body, Ashira following suite.

**- Later -**

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Kai kicked the last mound of dirt onto the heap covering Talon's grave. They'd dug it with their own hands, but it was best they could do. Taking a minute to observe their handiwork, Ashira and Kai exchanged depressed glances. Hearing a rumble from above, the two assassins were slightly relieved that it was only the beginning of a storm.

"We'd better head back to the Sanctuary" Kai suggested, turning around and heading away from the makeshift burial. Taking one last moment to gaze at the mound, Ashira sighed, joining her friend as they two of them headed out into the approaching storm.

**- Much later -**

The rain thundered down on the road as thunder and lightning filled the air every few minutes, captivating the horrible death from earlier that day. The mound of earth became damp, making it easier for the filthy hand to emerge from the ground in a burst of strength. As it grabbed hold of the ground for support, the hand pulled up an arm and the arm pulled up a head. Talon's head. Gasping for air and coughing up a small handful of dried dirt, Talon dragged himself out of the ground and rolled onto his back, taking in deep breaths as the rain scratched at his weakened body, washing the dirt from his face. As he tried to push himself back up, a scream erupted from his mouth as a burst of pain shot through his upper arm. Turning to look at it, he gasped to see a large cut from where one of the dragon's teeth had sunk into it. Gritting his teeth to block out the pain, he removed one of his three belts and tied it around his wound.

"_Shit shit shit shit shit..._" he thought repeatedly as the wound was slowly closed up, stinging as the raindrops hit against the exposed nerves. As soon as the pain ceased, he sighed with relief and let his head drop back against the damp ground. Taking it slowly, he stood back up and started making his way down the path again, stopping by the tree of pick his satchel beforehand.

**- Much much later -**

The force of Talon's kick sent the Breton back into the wall, causing him to drop his sword. As he reached down to pick it up, Talon grabbed his wrist and twisted it, causing the Breton to cry out as Talon held him against the wall. Taking in deep breaths, the Breton glanced around the room at the multiple dead bodies, each one wearing armor with a crimson circle painted on the chest. The same circle on the armor of the bandits who'd kidnapped him, Inari and Ashpyre. Looking down, Talon saw the same insignia painted onto the Breton's mage armor. Holding his dagger to the Breton's throat, Talon glared at his prey.

"Why are you doing this?" the Breton begged, tears about to roll down his face. Leaning in closely, Talon replied through gritted teeth.

"Because of what your gang did to me" he answered, right before bringing his knife across the Breton's throat and allowing blood to spill down his neck. Releasing his grip, Talon allowed the Breton's body to slump down the wall, leaving him as the last living person there. As another bust of pain shot through his wound, Talon knew that his belt wouldn't keep it closed for long. Placing his dagger back in its sheath, he headed past all the dead bodies and exited the fort. Heading outside, he reached into his satchel and pulled out his map, his eyes focusing on the circled location he had reached not too long ago.

"_Two down_" he thought as he headed away into the storm, hoping that he could reach his next destination in time.

**- The Ragged Flagon Cistern -**

Ailios sat on her bed, reading her copy of '2920, Last Seed, v8'. With each word she read, she imagined the story playing out in her head, as if she was really there.

_The Prince peered over the stretch of the moonlit sea of grass which waved in almost hypnotic patterns to the ebb and flow of the night wind billowing through the pass. It was impossible to tell if a struggling soldier was beneath this system of vibrations, a dying horse behind another. A high, whistling wind drowned out-_

THUD!

The noise ceased her concentration as it echoed off of the walls, worrying her. Folding the corner of the page she was on and closing the cover, she looked over to the ladder which led to the secret exit and gasped at the figure lying at the bottom. Heading over to the ladder, she rolled the figure over and gaped at the bruised, grimy face looking back at her.

"Talon?" she gasped, watching as he attempted to put on his smirk.

"Yep, that's me" he replied wittily, but not getting a laugh out of his friend.

"What happened to you?" Ailios asked worriedly as she placed his arm over her shoulder, assisting him over to her bed and lying him down on the straw covers, leaving his satchel at the foot of the bed.

"Would you believe that I was fighting a couple of Dark Brotherhood assassins and a dragon at the same time?" he replied with his own question, surprising Ailios as she opened the bedside table and retrieved all the necessary items e.g. a potion of healing and bandages.

"Seriously? Did you win?" she asked as she untied the now blood-drenched belt wrapped around his injury.

"Not exactly. I…had to run away" Talon revealed regrettably, knowing that he couldn't tell the truth. It was impossible to imagine how anyone would react if he'd told them his secret.

"There's no shame in it. If I were you, I would've run" Ailios replied, dropping the belt to the floor beside the bed. Then, Ailios realized what she needed Talon to do. And it caused her cheeks to flush slightly.

"Umm…I kind of need you to…take off your upper armor. You know, so I can disinfect the wound" she explained nervously, hoping that she wasn't sounding awkward.

"Oh, sure" Talon replied, surprising her as he removed his remaining two belts and dropped them beside the bed. As he pulled the leather chemise up over his head, Ailios' cheeks turned red at the sight of the muscles hidden beneath. Placing next to the belts, Talon dropped back down onto the bed, awaiting Ailios' treatment.

"Go ahead" he persisted, bringing her back to reality. Kneeling down, Ailios removed the top of the potion and slowly poured drops over the wound, watching as the wounds slightly closed up, leaving a small gap for the blood to escape through. Placing the bottle on the bedside table, Ailios took the roll of bandages and started wrapping the around Talon's upper arm, her hands warming as they brushed against his biceps. Using her dagger to cut off the rest of the bandage roll, she placed them beside the potion and tied the ends of the bandage around his arm into a knot, holding them in place.

"All done. You should be fine in a couple of days" she presumed, watching as Talon tried moving his arm. He was surprised by the lack of pain as he reached down to his armor and belts.

"How'd you become so good at playing nurse?" he asked as he pulled the armor back over his head and slid his arms down the sleeves.

"Whenever somebody here steals something, they usually end up getting stabbed or shot with an arrow or something. I help patch them up when I can" Ailios replied as she pulled open the bedside table and placed the items back inside. When her hand reemerged, she held a rag in her grasp. Walking over to the cistern, she held the rag under the water for a few seconds, wrung it out and headed back over to her "patient". Sitting beside him on the bed, she started wiping away the dirt and filth from his face

"Quit it" he ordered jokingly, trying his best to swat away her hand. She couldn't help but giggle at his feeble attempts to overpower her. Finishing the job, she pulled the rag away and placed it beside her. There was a moment of silence between the two of them, as they ran out of stuff to say.

"Umm...I think I should get going. Places to go, people to see" Talon insisted, standing up and doing the best to brush the dirt off his armor.

"You don't have to if you know" Ailios replied, causing Talon to stop in his tracks as he made his way towards the ladder.

"You mean...I could stay for the night?" he asked, turning to face her.

"Is that a problem?" she asked, crossing her arms with a smile.

"Not at all" Talon replied, answering with his trademark grin. Smiling, Ailios stood up and pointed to the empty bed around the corner.

"It's all yours" she insisted, getting a look of gratitude from her friend.

"Thanks" Talon acknowledged, giving her a playful punch on the shoulder.

"You're welcome" she replied, punching Talon in return.

**- The Next Day -**

Talon yawned as the secret exit to the graveyard was revealed, letting in the sunlight as it swept over his face, warming both him and Ailios. Heading up the steps, he took in a deep breath of fresh air, taking a second to glance at his bandaged arm, made visible through the tear in his armor. Turning to face his friend, he let out a small chuckle as she brushed her long braid back over her shoulder, brushing her fringe out of her eyes. Just like he always did.

"Thanks again for letting me stay" he said, getting a smile from Ailios as she gazed back at him, the sunlight illuminating her eyes and making them sparkle.

"Don't mention it, prisoner. Just try not to get hurt that bad anymore" she insisted, giving him a serious look, yet still sporting a smile.

"Really? You're still calling me that?" Talon asked, referring to his appointed nickname.

"What are you going to do about it"? Ailios asked in response, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. Smirking, Talon rolled his eyes at her suggestion.

"Nothing, I guess" he replied, surprising Ailios. For once he hadn't replied with a humorous comment.

"Well, if you're done complaining, where do you think you're going to head now?" she asked, curious about Talon's next adventure.

"Sorry, that's private information" he replied, causing Ailios' eyes to widen.

"Interesting. Hope you have fun" she continued, still smiling.

"It was nice to see you again" Talon finished before turning around and heading away. But before he could get far enough, he felt a sudden warmth engulf his hand. Looking down, he saw Ailios' hand grabbing hold of it, stopping him from going anywhere. Turning to face her, he was surprised to feel her press her lips against his cheek. It was brief, but it still caused Talon's eyes to widen.

"Stay safe" Ailios bid with a smile before heading back down the stairs to the secret exit. As the coffin emerged from the wall, hiding the exit once more, Talon stood frozen, still taking in what had just happened. Finally, with a mental kick, he remembered what he was doing. He started walking out of the graveyard, taking a minute to look back at where the secret entrance once was, his trademark grin once again reappearing on his lips and he took in a deep breath.

**A/N: More coming soon.**

**Ashira – created by morisempaisneko.**

**Kai – created by** **Shaleene1****.**

**Ailios – created by iGaMzEeX.**

**Laters**

**-7**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Werewolf

**- South of Morthal -**

Talon could see his breath in air as he made his way over the grassy hill, looking behind him to make sure the others were keeping up. By taking a quick stop in Dawnstar, he'd acquired a couple of followers to accompany him on his adventure. Nexu, an Argonian, clad in hide armor had agreed to join him free of charge. Mostly because he'd been looking for some adventure for a while now. On his back, he carried an Imperial Bow with a quiver packed with arrows. Yet he held a steel sword in one hand and a shield in the other. Behind him, Golag did his best to keep up, his face harboring a look of sullenness. Golag gro-Kurok was an Orc who spent most his time in the local taverns, betting wagers with other travelers who thought they could beat him in a bar brawl. As you could expect, mostly due to his brute strength and his hulking figure, he won hands down. However, when Talon had approached him asking for his services in combat, he didn't know that he'd met his match. With a few clever maneuvers, Talon was able to bring the brute to his knees, securing his victory and earning himself a second follower. Reaching into his satchel, Talon checked his map, making sure that they were heading in the right direction.

"Are we almost there?" Golag tetchily called from the back of the group, catching both Talon and Nexu off guard.

"Cool down, you big baby. We're not far off" Talon replied, rolling the map back up and placing it back in his satchel.

"What's his problem?" Nexu asked, gesturing to crabby Orsimer trailing behind them.

"He's just pissed 'cause I kicked his ass" Talon answered with a grin, turning back the way they were walking. Smirking, Nexu turned back to look at the Orc as he sulked away.

"He didn't kick my ass. I just had too much to drink" Golag defended, giving the Argonian a glare of loathing. Reaching the top of the hill, Talon's eyes widened as he saw what was sitting at the bottom.

"Get down!" he ordered, quickly lying down on the earth beneath him. Exchanging confused looks, Golag and Nexu agreed and joined Talon down on the ground. Crawling to the peak of the hill, they saw an old fort at the bottom, the front entrance being guarded by two Bretons. One wore blue mage robes, the other wore steel armor. And they both had the same red circle painted on their chests. Narrowing his eyes, Talon knew he'd found the location he'd been searching for.

"This is the place" he disclosed, making sure that the guards couldn't hear him.

"Before we go any further, I need to know why you need us to help you kill these bandits. And what's with the circles?" Nexu asked, referring to the peculiar emblem decorated on their persons.

"They're part of a clan called the 'Blood Ring'. I've been hunting them down for some time now" Talon explained, his gaze still fixed on the targets at the bottom of the hill.

"Why are you hunting them down?" Golag asked gruffly, giving Talon a quizzical look.

"I...I can't tell you. But I do have a good reason. Do you trust me?" he asked, turning to face the two of them. Instantly, Nexu placed his sword and shield on the ground and reached back for his bow. Pulling out two arrows, he placed both of them in the string of the bow and pulled them back. Releasing the string, both arrows flew forward, hitting each guard in the forehead. Placing his bow on his back, Nexu looked at Talon with a reptilian grin.

"I'm with you all the way" he replied, getting Talon to grin back thankfully. The two of them turned to face the Orc, both awaiting his response. Rolling his eyes agitatedly, Golag let out a sigh.

"Fine, I'll come too" he mumbled, impressively hiding the fact that, secretly, he really did want to come along.

"Then let's get moving" Talon replied, standing up from where he'd been laying and walking down the hill towards the fort, his companions following suit. Ignoring the corpses of the two Bretons, Talon slowly pushed open the wooden door and peeked inside.

"The coast is clear" he whispered, turning back to the others. Heading inside, he stepped lightly, trying to avoid the unwanted attention of the fort's other inhabitants. Suddenly, the sound of chatter filled the air, causing the three intruders to freeze in place. Reaching a corner, Talon peeked around it, quickly ducked back behind the wall as he saw a female High Elf and a male Nord heading their way, both bearing the emblem of the 'Blood Ring' on their armors.

"Two of them heading our way" Talon whispered uneasily, raising an eyebrow in confusion as Golag stepped forward.

"Allow me" he insisted with a toothy grin, brandishing his Orcish battle-axe with both hands. Stepping back, Nexu and Talon watched in anticipation as Golag waited by the corner, his weapon in the pre-swing position. Then, as the two bandits headed round the corner, Golag took a swing, cutting both of them in half at the waist and leaving them in four pieces altogether. Turning back to the others, Golag was pleased to see them frozen in amazement, still transfixed by the still quivering, dismembered corpses at their feet.

"You're welcome" Golag acknowledged, beckoning them to carry on down the stone corridor. Continuing down the passage, they approached another door. Preparing their weapons, they swung open the door, halting at the sight of multiple bandits. All armed, all wearing 'Blood Ring' branded armor, all glaring at them. Instantly, the whole room broke out into fighting, lives ending by the second. Golag was taking multiple swings of his battle-axe, taking out numerous targets with ease. Nexu continuously blocked blows with his shield and struck back with a quick stab when he had the chance, using not only his weapons against them, but also his wits. As for Talon, he noticed that an Imperial mage had just run out of the room, trying to escape his approaching fate.

"I've got him" Talon called out, running through the same door as the Imperial. However, as he made his way to the bottom of the stone steps, he noticed a final room at the bottom, causing him to groan in anger. Bursting into the room, the door instantly slammed behind him and he was thrown back into it by an invisible force. He couldn't move his arms or his legs. He was frozen in midair. Looking down, he glared at the female Wood Elf standing below him, her hand outstretched as a bronze-colored engulfed her palm. However, in her other hand was a purple-colored entity.

"Telekinesis. I must admit, it is a hard spell to master. But it really packs a punch" she mocked with an evil grin. Behind her stood the Imperial mage, grinning with her.

"What about his friends?" he asked, looking to his Altmer accomplice with concern.

"We'll deal with them in time. As for him, let's just say that Night Fang's getting a snack" she replied, getting a look of confusion to spread across Talon's face.

"Night Fang?" he asked worriedly as he levitated across the room towards a cage built into a large cave crevice. Inside the cage was a Nord man, dressed in torn rags, barely keeping him covered. Around his neck was a purple aura, just like the one in the Wood Elf's free hand. With a forcing push, Talon flew through the open cage door, landing with a grunt as hit the stone floor.

"Night Fang, we have an unwanted guest. Please show him what we do to unwanted guests" the Wood Elf ordered, quickly locking the cage and watching as Talon picked himself up off of the ground. Looking over to the Nord, Talon watched as he cowered in the corner, looking first at him, then at the Altmer.

"Please...don't make me do this" he begged, tears threatening to roll down his cheeks in fear. Narrowing her eyes in disappointment, the Wood Elf raised her purple-clad palm and focused on the Nord, watching in amusement as the aura around his neck grew brighter, causing him to cry out in pain.

"What are you doing to him? What is that?" Talon ordered, immediately running to the Nord's aid as he dropped to his knees in agony.

"A torture bind. My own little spell I invented. He's completely at my control as long as I still have this hand" the Wood Elf answered, jeeringly waving it back and forth, getting an angry glare from the Nord thief.

"I'm sorry. I have no choice" Night Fang apologized as his body began to pulse, causing Talon to back away in horror. All he could do was watch as Night Fang's body began to contort, his muscles becoming more defined as jet-black fur sprouted over his visible flesh. His teeth sharpened into points as his face pushed out into a canine muzzle. Until finally, he let out a loud howl, making Talon realize what he was confronting. A werewolf. And he was its next meal.

Nexu and Golag let out exhausted breaths as they observed the bloodstained room, corpses scattered around the room in limp positions, some still sporting their horrified faces as their lives were abruptly brought to an end.  
"Nice work" Nexu commented, surprising the Orc as he used a dead Khajiit's robes to wipe the blood from his blade.  
"Umm...thanks. You too" Golag replied, still getting used to commenting back. Heading in the direction Talon had gone, they pushed open the door and entered the room, surprising its occupants. Looking to the left, they saw Talon running back and forth in the cage, narrowly avoiding the werewolf's swipes and snaps.

"Get them" the Wood Elf ordered the Breton, watching as a ball of fire hovered above his palm. But before he could even launch it, an arrow hit him in head, causing him to jolt backwards as he inertly dropped to the floor. Nexu quickly placed his bow behind him once more and retrieved his sword and shield.

"Go get Talon, I'll handle her" Nexu insisted, getting a nod of agreement from Golag as he started making his way over to the cage. Suddenly, he hit an invisible barrier, bouncing back in confusion as the Wood Elf grinned exultantly.  
"Her hands! Cut off her hands!" Talon cried out in fear as the wolf slowly prowled in a circle, watching as Talon did his best to keep away from him. Hearing his orders, Nexu threw his sword to the ground and threw his shield at the Altmer, hitting her in face and causing her to stagger. Then, with one swift swing, Golag veered his axe backwards and swung it down, cutting her purple-clad hand clean off. Screaming, the Wood Elf took a minute to look at her the bloody stump the end of her arm before glaring at the Orc in rage. Using her remaining hand, she brought it up in front of her, ready to use her adept magic against him. Suddenly, Nexu ran over to her and cut it off, leaving her defenseless. Instantly, the purple bond vanished from around Night Fang's neck, freeing him from the Wood Elf's control. Smiling, Talon gestured to the door, watching with pride as Night Fangs effortlessly tore away the metal bars, releasing both him and Talon. Growling in anger, he dove at the Wood Elf, causing the Talon, Nexu and Golag to turn away in horror as she was mercilessly torn apart. As the sounds of screaming, squelching and snapping ceased, Night Fang's werewolf form began to deteriorate, returning him to the form of a blood-covered Nord. Slowly, he turned to face his three saviors, breathing heavily as they observed him.

"Thank you. They kidnapped me months ago. I thought I'd never get out of there" he thanked, getting the three of them to grin proudly.

"Don't worry about it. I have these guys to thank" Talon replied, turning to face Nexu and Golag gratefully.

"Don't mention it" Golag replied with a nod of gratitude.

"It was an honor to fight with you" Nexu seconded, warming Talon's heart.

"Same here. Get Night Fang out of here safely" he told, confusing them.  
"You're not coming?" Golag asked curiously, scratching the back of his head.

"I'm just going to have a look around. You're free to go in you want to" Talon allowed, getting Golag and Nexu to exchange shrugs.

"Good luck. I hope to see you again someday" Nexu bid as him, Golag and Night Fang started making their way back up to the exit. Making sure they'd gone, Talon ignored what remained of the mangled Altmer and headed over to her desk near the cage. Looking through a couple of the compartments, he came upon what looked like a journal. Opening it up, he found an entry from a few days ago.

-'Today, we heard news that Grail's fort was destroyed. We now fear that whoever did this will soon come looking for the remaining forts. Earlier today, I arranged a meeting with a contact from the Dark Brotherhood itself. I've arranged for the boy, Talon Nightshade, to be executed as soon as possible. If all goes to plan, we'll have nothing to stop us from completing the final stages of our task.' -

"_So, they were the ones who sent the assassins after me_" Talon thought as he turned the page, expecting to see the next entry. Unfortunately, the next page was blank.

So was the next one.

And the next one.

There was no more information about their "task".

Groaning in defeat, Talon threw the journal across the room, a thud hitting his ears as it made contact with the wall. Looking back in the drawer, he saw a small, purple book sitting where the journal had previously been. It must've been hidden underneath it. Picking it up, he found a set of instructions, each one talking about certain hand gestures. It was the Wood Elf's book on how to cast a torture bind. Figuring that it could come in useful someday, he picked it up and headed back over to the open cage. His satchel had fallen off whilst he'd been avoiding the werewolves lunges. Kneeling down, he cringed as a sharp pain hit his side. Dropping the book, he looked down at his side and gaped in horror. It was impossible. How could he have missed that? Just above his waist, coated with fresh blood, was a bite.

An animal bite.

A werewolf bite.

His fear increased as he felt a sudden headache, a thirst for blood.

"_Shit_" he thought as his throat went dry.

**A/N: More coming soon.**

**Night Fang – created by** **TheWerewolfPrince****.**

**Golag gro-Kurok – created by** **EchoDog****.**

**Nexu – created by HunterKiller762.**

**Laters**

**-7**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Purity: Part 1

**- Riften, five days since Talon was bitten -**

Riften marketplace was usually packed with both travelers and citizens. All of which visiting the different stalls and merchants, going through the occasional trade of items and, rarely, bribery. Aside from the intersecting chatter and sound of birds chirping, the market was generally peaceful. Not today though.

"YOU BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!" an angry, female voice called out, causing the chatter to cease as every head turned to observe the commotion. Standing a few feet away were two women, both in their twenties, engaged in unarmed combat. One had blonde hair, pulled back into a messy ponytail. She had a small scar running along the right side of her jaw and slightly pointed ear, hinting that she had some elven heritage. From the neck down, she wore what closely resembled the armor of the Thieves Guild, colored black. Her opponent had long, crimson hair which reached her shoulders. Like the blonde-haired girl, she had a scar, only it was on her left cheek. And her armor of choice was blue mage robes, implying that she had experience as a mage.

"Those damned Free-Winter sisters are at it again" a guard sighed, getting the guard beside him to nod in agreement. The red-haired sister, Freyja, made a run at her blonde-haired sibling, Leia, and grabbed her in a headlock. Immediately, Leia grabbed Freyja's hand and sunk her teeth into it, causing her to cry out as she let her go. Looking down at the teeth marks now engraved into her skin, Freyja looked up at her sister with narrowed eyes.

"You'll pay for that!" she threatened, running forward and shoving Leia into Grelka's armor stall, causing multiple items to fall to the ground with assorted thuds and metallic clangs.

"Hey, be careful!" Grelka ordered, her pleas ignored by the tussling sisters. Freyja started making her way over to Leia with a look of wrath, watching as she leaned against the wooden stall for support. Reacting quickly, Leia grabbed the only remaining thing on Grelka's stand, a steel helmet. As Freyja approached her, Leia spun around, hitting her sister right across the face with the piece of armor. Seeing that this fight was getting out of hand, the two guards who had been observing retrieved their swords from their sheaths and stood between them before they could continue their scrap.

"Both of you, that's enough!" one of them ordered, causing silence to fill the air as the onlookers observed their handiwork. Having no choice, both sisters stood down, exchanging looks of pure hatred.

"One more fight and we'll haul both of you to Riften Jail personally" the guard ordered, lowering his sword and leaving the scene with his affiliate. Slowly, people began to go about their business like nothing had even happened. As for Freyja and Leia, the two of them left the marketplace, instead heading over to the graveyard behind the Temple of Mara. Standing near the secret entrance to the Cistern, her arms hidden behind her back, was Ailios.

"Well, did you get it?" Leia asked worriedly, a grin appearing on her and Freyja's lips as Ailios revealed a medium-sized, burlap bag from behind her, the sound of coins clinking coming from inside.

"Of course. Madesi didn't even notice me go behind his stand" she answered, opening the sack and giving each of them an even amount of coin. Both sisters grinned triumphantly, satisfied that their distraction was a success. As she counted her loot, Leia noticed Freyja rubbing side of her head with a look of discomfort.

"You okay?" Leia asked, getting her sister's attention.

"Was the helmet really necessary?" Freyja retorted, giving her sister an annoyed expression.

"You bit me in the hand first. Think of it as compensation" Leia replied with a grin, causing her sister to roll her eyes. Suddenly, the sound of scraping rock and metal filled their ears as the coffin sitting in the stone room rolled back into the wall, revealing the secret entrance to the Cistern. The three of them watched as a middle-aged Nord made his way up the stone steps and out into the graveyard. Like Ailios and Leia, he too wore the armor of the Thieves Guild. He had long, blonde hair with a matching beard, tied up near the bottom. Not only that, but he had three scars running down his left cheek. One of them was reaching his eye. As his and Ailios' gazes met, they both smiled elatedly.

"Helgor!" Ailios exclaimed, running over to the man and instantly pulling him into a hug. Laughing heartily, Helgor hugged back.

"It's good to see you again, Ailios" he greeted, confusing both Leia and Freyja as they joined them near the Cistern's entrance.

"Girls, this is Helgor. I haven't seen him in years" Ailios introduced gleefully, getting smiles to appear on their faces as they understood the situation.

"Yes, the last time I saw Ailios, Rune was still teaching her how to pick locks" Helgor explained, getting Freyja and Leia to chuckle simultaneously.

"What are you doing here? I thought you lived in Windhelm now" Ailios questioned, still surprised by the return of her old friend.

"I do. But I needed to come back, we have something down in the Cistern which you have to see" he explained, deeply concerning the three of them.

"What is it?" Freyja asked with crossed arms, raising an eyebrow inquiringly.

"Just come. I'll explain later" he insisted, gesturing down the previously hidden passage. Seeing no other choice, the four of them began making their way down the steps. And with a pull of the lever, the grave slid out of the wall and covered the passage, once again hiding it from public view.

**- The Ragged Flagon Cistern –**

Ailios squinted as her vision adjusted to the lack of light in the Cistern, the only source being the sunlight peeking through the cracks in the well grate above them and the occasional candle placed in various places around the stone chamber. However, as the four of them arrived in the Cistern, Ailios, Freyja and Leia froze in shock at what they saw. At the center of the chamber, bound by ropes, was a werewolf, covered in rags of black leather. The ropes it was restrained in were tied to each corner of the stone platform in the middle of the cistern. As for now, the beast was trapped. At least that's what they hoped. Multiple guild members were observing the beast from a distance, most worried about what would happen if they got too close. However, Brynjolf, Delvin Mallory and Marieka had gathered near it, studying it as it rested in front of them, not even trying to escape. Helgor led the girls over to the platform, noticing their lack of pace as they got closer to the monster, understanding how intimidating this situation was. Turning, Brynjolf met the four of them halfway, taking a quick look back at the werewolf as he left it in Marieka and Delvin's care.

"Did anything happen while I was gone?" Helgor asked, peeking over Brynjolf get a better view of the restrained beast.

"No, it's been a while since it last tried to lash out at one of us" Brynjolf replied, following Helgor's gaze with a look of trepidation.

"Where in Oblivion did you find a werewolf?" Leia interjected, surprising the two of them.

"Vex and Delvin found it on their way back from a Sweep Job in Whiterun. They were lucky to be alive; Delvin was able to bring the beast down with some Wolfsbane Essence he'd been carrying on him" Brynjolf explained, nodding to the elderly member of the Guild.

"So why did you bring it back here?" Freyja asked with confusion, gesturing to the beast with her hand.

"We couldn't just kill it. Somewhere behind those teeth and claws, there is a living person. We're not the Dark Brotherhood, we will deal with professionally" Brynjolf explained, getting nods and looks of accord from each of them.

"Is there any clue to who that...thing used to be?" Ailios asked quizzically, getting nod from Brynjolf as a response.

"Come with me" he persisted, allowing Ailios to follow him over to the platform, her heartbeat increasing drastically as the distance between her and the beast got smaller and smaller. As she finally approached the beast, she saw that Marieka was kneeling down in front of the werewolf's face, holding a tinted black bottle and holding it under the its nose. As the scent from the bottle entered the wolf's nostril, it trembled for a brief second and went calm once more, its gaze still fixed on the stone floor it knelt on.

"That should keep him calm for a couple more minutes" Marieka explained reassuringly, turning to face Brynjolf and Ailios as they approached her. As Brynjolf turned to face Delvin, Ailios couldn't help but study the trapped creature, watching as its defined, dark-skinned chest moved in and out with each breath, the exhaled air exiting its throat with a deep growl every time.

"Delvin, do you still have the bag?" Brynjolf asked, getting a nod from long-term ally and causing Ailios to lose her concentration.

"What bag?" she asked, only for Delvin to hand a black, threadbare satchel over to Brynjolf. Ailios' eyes widened, she'd seen that satchel somewhere before.

"This was hung around its neck when it went after Delvin and Vex. Any idea about who it could belong to?" Brynjolf asked, holding it out to Ailios and allowing her to take it from his grasp. Ailios' heart stopped, she knew who it belonged to. Slowly, she turned to face the beast again, tears threatening to roll down her cheeks as she thought of the person trapped behind that veil of sharp teeth and claws.

"Talon..." she whispered, unaware of the effect it would have on the captive beast. As soon as that word hit the wolf's ears, it threw back its head in anger and let out a ghastly howl, causing each patron to cover their ears as it echoed around the Cistern's walls.

"Marieka, the Wolfsbane!" Brynjolf called out, looking over to his lover frantically. Nodding, Marieka removed the cork from the bottle and slowly moved for the animal's nose. Suddenly, with an almighty tug, the wolf's left arm broke free of its bindings, lashing out at Brynjolf's lass. The force of the blow sent Marieka off the platform, landing in the water beneath them and sending the Wolfsbane essence across the room, hitting the wall with a loud smash. Frailly, Marieka pushed herself up out of the water, coughing up a far portion of the Cistern's liquid contents.

"MARIEKA!" Brynjolf called out, rushing over to assist his lover, helping her regain her footing as she regained her air supply. As this happened, the wolf continued to pull and its binds, struggling to break free. Until finally, the other ropes followed suit, allowing the werewolf to rise from its kneeling position, towering over the other inhabitants like a God. Instantly, the wolf's gaze rested upon Ailios, bearing its sharp, blood-stained teeth with a snarl. As it lunged at her, Ailios felt a large hand grip her arm and pull her out of the way, causing the wolf to land on one of the wooden beds placed around the walls, crushing it underneath its hulking frame. Turning round, Ailios saw that the arm belonged to Helgor, a look of anger swathed on his face. Standing back up, the wolf turned to face the Cistern's inhabitants. However, his gaze was now fixed on Leia, watching as she slowly backed away out of fear. Stepping away from the destroyed bed, it started taking great strides towards Leia, causing her to gasp as she backed straight into a wall. However, as the wolf approached her, a flash temporarily blinded it. A wall of fire had materialized in front of Leia, stopping the wolf from going any further. Both Leia and the wolf turned to see Freyja standing a few feet away, her hand now colored orange by the enchantment she was casting. Taking her chance, Leia seized a steel dagger from her belt and drove it into the wolf's shoulder, causing it to arch its back and let out a howl of pain. Running past the wall of fire, Leia joined her sister as they watched the wolf pull the dagger from its shoulder and throw it to the floor, clutching at the now profusely bleeding wound. Turning its head, the wolf glared at the two sisters, slowly making its way over to them as a growl escaped its throat.

"Hey, leave them alone!" a deep voice ordered, causing every head in the Cistern to turn and face the source. Helgor was standing on the platform in the middle of the Cistern, in his hand, one of the rarest swords in Tamriel. A Nightingale Blade. Seeing that it was being offered a challenge, the wolf ignored Leia and Freyja and, instead, headed over to Helgor, exchanging looks of valor.

"Come on, you foul beast. Give me your best shot!" Helgor dared, watching as both him and the wolf began circling each other, waiting for the first move. As you could expect, the wolf angrily lunged at Helgor.

Big mistake.

Ducking to the left, Helgor held out his sword and cut the wolf straight across the ribs, watching as it dropped the stone floor with a thud. Standing over the vanquished animal, Helgor raised his sword, ready to make the final blow. However, before he could do so, a female voice called out from behind him.

"NO!" Ailios called out, causing Helgor to lower his sword respectively. Approaching the subdued creature, Ailios knelt down beside it, watching as the dark-skinned form almost seemed to melt away. The vanishing fur revealed dreadfully pale skin, the blood-stained teeth reverted back into normal human molars and the oversized claws reverted into blacked, sullied hands. The original red of its eyes recolored into a light green. And the only hair visible remained on its head. Talon was back, his body barely covered by the remnants of what used to be his one-off armor.

"By the Gods...we need help!" Helgor called out, attracting the attention of multiple residents of the Cistern, all running to assist the man who'd taken down what used to be the beast.

"Is he okay? Do you think we stopped the bleeding in time?"

"It's hard to say. We'll just have to wait and hope"

"Don't say that, he...wait, he's waking up"

These were among the first things Talon heard as he regained consciousness, slowly pushing himself up from the wooden bed he rested on.

"Hey, take it easy. You've been out for almost an hour" Ailios explained, helping him up into a sitting position. As he leaned forward, a sharp pain hit his upper-left body. Looking, he saw and assortment of bandages wrapped around both his ribcage and shoulder blade, both partly stained with blood.

"What...what happened?" he asked groggily, rubbing his eyes as he did so. Looking up, he saw Helgor standing by his bedside, Leia and Freyja were with him.

"You mean you don't remember a thing?" Helgor asked, causing Talon to shake his head. Immediately, everybody exchanged worried glances, easily noticed by Talon.

"Why? What..." he trailed off, looking at the state of the Cistern. The floor was partially charred and one of the beds had been destroyed, now nothing more than kindling. Seeing this, Talon's heartbeat increased, causing his chest to hurt even more.

"Did I...did I do that?" he asked worriedly, getting nervous nods from everyone surrounding him.

Groaning, Talon leaned forward, ignoring the pain in his ribs and shoulder as he held his head in his hands.

"I prayed to Talos that this wouldn't happen" he justified, allowing Ailios to rub his back consolingly.

"It's okay. You can tell us" she reassured, causing him to let out a sigh of defeat. He had no other choice. He had to tell them.

"It all happened about five days ago. These bandits at a fort near Morthal captured me and let their captive werewolf chase me around his cage. It wasn't till after I escaped that I found the bite" he began, lifting the bandages high enough to reveal the teeth marks incised into his waist, the edges slowly turning from dark purple to black.

"Why didn't you get help?" Helgor asked quizzically, surely it must've dawned on him to try and find a cure.

"At first, I thought I could fight it. And for a couple days, I did. But after that, things got a whole lot worse. I was really thirsty no matter how much water I drank, I couldn't sleep at night and I had these headaches every single day. Then one night, when I was heading to Dawnstar, something bad happened. My head was throbbing, it felt like my bones were on fire and then I just blacked out. When I woke up, it was early morning. My armor was torn, my skin was all bloody and...and..." he paused, looking up at his friends fretfully. They knew that something bad had happened.

"And what?" Leia asked curiously, refusing to leave this tale unfinished.

"There...there was a person beside me. They were...," he paused, gagging as he visualized the scene in his head, "...torn open. I didn't even know who they were. There was...there was hardly anything left"

Ailios covered her mouth in shock, failing to imagine the guilt Talon must have been feeling at that moment, that sickness he had felt after having to look at a dead body. Helgor was emotionless and unmoving, unable to find the right words. Leia and Freyja were the same, just staring at Talon while he gazed at the floor depressingly.

"It must've happened again. Where did you find me?" he asked, looking up at Freyja curiously.

"Brynjolf said they found you not too far from Whiterun. Vex and Delvin brought you back here" she answered, straightening things out for the thief turned werewolf. But Helgor wasn't satisfied. He knew something wasn't right about all of this.  
"Talon, you said you blacked out when the transformation first happened, correct?" he asked, eying him inquisitively.

"Yeah. Why?" Talon asked in response, only for Helgor to stand up and head away, stopping near his own bed. He had a stack of books at his bedside, more than enough reading material to last him a month. Searching through the stack, he came across a book with a brown, leather cover. Opening to the first page, he saw the book's title. It read:

_Lycanthropy: the official guide to werewolves_

As he rejoined the group, he skimmed through the pages, stopping as he found the one he'd been looking for. As his eyes scrolled down the page, he read out each word, using his index finger to keep track.

"Terminal Lycanthropy: the result of being bitten by a werewolf, but inheriting a rogue wolf spirit" he read out, confusing each member of the group.

"English, please?" Talon requested, having little experience with this field of knowledge.

"Whenever lycanthropy is contracted, the victim then becomes the host to a wolf spirit which they will become when they allow the change to happen. However, in rare cases, the victim is possessed by a more... malevolent spirit, one which is far more dark and powerful than any other. And, unlike other wolf spirits, this one has the ability to trigger the change whenever they require nourishment. Just like what happened to you, Talon" Helgor explained, giving a more analytical answer.

"But what happens if I don't drink any blood?" Talon asked worriedly, watching as Helgor turned to the next page and began to read the next paragraph.

"It says that, if the wolf is ravenous for a specific amount of time, it...oh my..." Helgor trailed off, his eyes widening as he read the rest of the sentence. Noticing this, Talon suddenly felt uneasy.

"What will it do?" he asked, watching anxiously as Helgor took in a deep breath.

"It will overwhelm the victim, devouring their soul and forever taking the form of the beast" Helgor finished penitently, looking up Talon's dazed expression with regret.

"So...unless I kill more people, I'll never be able to turn back?" he asked, tears surfacing in his eyes. Repentantly, Helgor nodded, sighing as Talon lowered his head and held it in his hands, choked sobs exiting his throat at random points and causing a disheartened look to appear on Ailios face.

"But there has to be a cure, right? There must be some way of stopping this" she questioned optimistically, getting Talon to wipe away his stray tears and raise his head back up. Helgor rubbed his chin in deep thought, an idea brewing in his mind.  
"There may be a way, Ailios. I have a friend in Whiterun who could help us" he replied, getting Talon's trademark grin to return to his face.

"Then let's go. We can be there by tomorrow if we leave now" he insisted, but as he stood up, Helgor softly pushed back down onto the bed.

"I'm sorry, Talon. But we can't leave just yet. Not while you're like this" he replied sternly, confusing Talon.

"What are you talking about? I feel fine" he vowed, getting Helgor to shake his head fervently.

"You may feel fine now, Talon. But the wolf spirit inside you could take control at any time. We need to make sure that it stays dormant until you're cured" Helgor reminded, causing Talon's heart to ache. He didn't like where this conversation was heading.

"Wait...you don't mean..." he stammered, shaking his head slowly.

"I'm sorry, but you need to feed in order to sedate the spirit" Helgor clarified, getting Talon to stand up so that they were almost at eye level.

"I can't. I vowed not to do that again. And besides, who am I meant to feed on?" he questioned, expecting Helgor to answer promptly.

"You can feed on me" Ailios interjected, causing all heads to turn to face her. Talon couldn't believe what she'd just said.

"What? You can't be serious" he queried, turning his head back to Helgor as he spoke.

"Talon, you wouldn't have to kill her. All you'd need is a small quantity of her blood to hold you over until we find a cure" he rationalized, causing Talon to look at the ground and then back at Ailios tensely.

"I...I can't. Not after last time" Talon asserted, getting another depressed expression to appear on Ailios' face.

"Talon, you have to do this if you want that spirit out of you. Please, do it for me" she pleaded, holding his upper arm imploringly. Talon sighed; he knew there was no point in denying it. She was right.

"Okay, let's do it" he agreed, nodding to Helgor confidently. Upon hearing this, Helgor turned to Leia and Freyja.

"Freyja, get us some rags. Leia, find a bowl" he instructed, causing both sisters to split up in different directions. Nervously, Talon sat back down on the bed, his legs hung over the side. A few seconds later, Leia and Freyja returned with the required items. Ailios sat beside Talon, giving him a look of assurance, a look which he couldn't help but smile at.

"Okay, Ailios hold out your hand. Leia, hold the bowl under her wrist" Helgor directed, getting a nod from the blonde-haired sister as she obliged. Reaching into his belt, Helgor retrieved an iron dagger and rolled up Ailios' sleeve, revealing her wrist.

"This may hurt a little. Ready?" Helgor asked, getting a nod from Ailios as she took in a deep breath. Slowly, Helgor drew the blade across her wrist, causing Ailios to exhale sharply as a trail of blood flowed down the side of her arm, slowly pouring into the wooden bowl. Once a small, crimson pool had formed at the bottom of the bowl, Helgor turned to Freyja.  
"The rags, now" he told, Freyja obeyed and held the rags over Ailios' still bleeding wrist. Standing up and holding the bandages in place, Ailios headed over to her bedside table, supposedly to bandage up her arm. Leia held the bowl out to Talon, allowing him to take it and observe its nauseating contents. Taking a deep breath, Talon brought the bowl to his lips and hastily swallowed the crimson liquid. Once the bowl was empty, he quickly threw it away, gagging as the last of its contents reached his stomach. Almost instantly, Talon's skin brightened up, giving him a healthier complexion. Helgor couldn't help but chuckle at Talon's reaction as he attempted to wipe the taste off of his tongue.

"How did it taste?" Helgor asked jokingly, getting a peeved look from Talon as he held a hand to his stomach.

"Like skeever piss" he answered, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. Helgor rolled his eyes at the thief's crotchetiness. Hearing footsteps, everybody turned to see Ailios heading back over to them, rolling down her sleeve to hide her freshly applied bandages. Smiling, she sat down beside Talon, happy to see that some color had returned to his previously pale skin.

"Well, at least you look better" she commented, grinning as Talon gave her a look of nausea.

"I just hope I can be cured soon, there's no way I'm doing that again" he replied, groaning as the queasy feeling in his gut slowly began to subside.

To be continued...

**A/N: More coming soon.**

**Helgor – created by** **Dionysie****.**

**Leia and Freyja – created by MsTaz511.**

**Ailios – created by iGaMzEeX.**

**Marieka – created by massivelyattacked**

**Laters**

**-7**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Purity: Part 2

Before...

"I'm asking you for the final time. Tell me where you got all this" Erik questioned, both hands placed on the table in front of him as he interrogated the teenager sitting opposite. Glancing up from the floor, Talon looked at the contents placed between him and his father. Sitting between them, on a rectangular piece of cloth, was a whole assortment of food ranging from fresh fruit to preserved wine. Standing behind Erik was a woman, her hair as black as night and her eyes enveloped in green, giving Talon the same look of dissatisfaction. Sighing, Talon's gaze returned to the floor.

"You stole it all, didn't you?" Erik answered for him, his tone of voice descending from irritated to furious.

"Yes, sir" Talon admitted, not even looking up from the floor. Removing his hands from the table, Erik turned his back to Talon, running a hand down his face and shaking his head penitently.

"Talon, I've told you-LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!," Erik ordered, causing Talon to bolt upright in his seat out of pure fear, "I've told you time and time again, I'm getting sick and tired of your larceny"

"I know, you never shut up about it" Talon sassed in response, getting Erik to slam his fist down on the table irritably and nearly making him fall off his chair.

"Do you think of this as a joke?" Erik demanded, getting Talon to return the look of anger.

"Most of the time. It takes the edge off" he answered, narrowing his eyes at his father.

"Then tell me: Did you think it was funny when you got arrested in Markarth? Did you think I enjoyed having to walk all the way there just to pay your bail?" Erik asked, causing Talon to slump back in his chair. He remembered that day perfectly, mainly because his father kept on bringing it up. He'd been caught pickpocketing loose change at the Silver-Blood Inn and he'd had to wait in the Guard Tower for his father to take him home. Unfortunately, a fee had to be paid for Talon's release, meaning that Erik had to sacrifice a week's payment. Not only that, but then he had to work extra hours in the mine to earn the money back.

"Your father's right, Talon. For all you knew, you could've gotten caught again. Where did you get all of this anyhow?" Talon's mother, Caroline, questioned, gesturing with her hand to the heap of food.

"From the Battle-Born house up in Whiterun, they had a whole table full of this stuff. I was in and out before they could even notice" Talon answered, attempting to reassure her in hopes of getting off the hook.

"Whether they noticed you or not isn't the issue here, son. The issue is that you need to stop stealing before you become obsessed with it. I still have my job at the mine, I can still provide for this family" Erik replied, causing Talon to stand up and narrow his eyes.

"Really, father? Just when were you going to tell me that you got fired?" Talon asked with crossed arms. At the sound of this, the angry expression disappeared from Erik's face, leaving him with a look of surprise.

"That's right, I heard you two talking about it last night. How long were you going to keep it from me?" Talon questioned, looking on irascibly as his parents exchanged distressed glances.

"That's why I stole this stuff. To keep us going until we found another way to earn coin" Talon revealed, getting moved expressions from the two of them, his father letting out a sigh.

"Talon, I know you meant well, but it still doesn't give you the right to steal from others" Caroline explained, joining her husband by the table respectively.

"Your mother's right, son. What if you had gotten caught again?" Erik assumed, narrowing his eyebrows at his son, his tone returning to its previously maddened stage.

"But I didn't. I got away with enough food to last us a week. You two should be thanking me right now" Talon retorted egotistically, angering his father even further.

"Thanking you? For what? Nearly getting arrested for a second time?! FOR STEALING FROM THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL FAMILY IN WHITERUN?!" Erik raged, picking up a loaf of bread from the pile of stolen goods and lobbing it and his son. Shielding his face, Talon backed away from the table as the loaf rebounded off his hands and landed on the floor.

"Erik, calm down" Caroline tried to solace, simply ignored by her furious husband.

"How about for keeping us from starving? Honestly, the one time I do something nice for both of you and you spit in my face. Can't you calm the fuck down for once in your life?!" Talon countered, stepping forward until he was within arm's reach of his father.

"YOU WATCH YOUR TONGUE, BOY!" Erik yelled, jabbing his index finger into Talon's chest and causing him to move back an inch.

"Stop it, both of you!" Caroline cut in, still being ignored by the two of them. However, she covered her mouth in shock as Talon brought back his fist and propelled it straight into Erik's face, causing him to stumble backwards, clutching his nose. Erik looked up at Talon furiously, blood now trickling from his nostrils to his lips. As for Talon, he just stood there, his hand still clenched into a fist, his chest drastically moving in and out with each breath.

"By the Eights, what is wrong with you?!" Erik yelled, scaring both his wife and his son.

"You made me do it, you asshole! Because no matter how much I try to help this family, you'll always find some kind of downside!" Talon yelled in response, angering his father even further.

"That's it. Go to your room, boy. We'll discuss your punishment tomorrow!" Erik ordered, pointing to the door to the left of the room. Angered, Talon kicked over the chair he'd previously been sitting on and stormed out of the room, slamming the door loudly. However, even with the door closed, he could still hear his father's shouting.

"Mark my words, if you ever get caught again, you can rot in jail for all I care!" he shouted, causing Talon to open the door once more, surprising both of his parents.

"I HATE YOU!" he cried, slamming it once more with a grunt. Leaning back against the door, he allowed himself to slowly slide down the wood, hitting the floor with a soft thud. He ran his hands through his hair, looking over to the window ahead of him, the moon shining brightly behind the glass. Narrowing his eyebrows, he stood back up, headed over to his bed and reached under it, pulling out a rust-colored satchel. Opening his bedside table, he pulled out all the coin he had and his copy of 'Nords of Skyrim', placing them inside the satchel. Closing it, he swung the strap over his shoulder and headed for the window. Opening it as wide as it could go, he shivered as the outside air penetrated his dirty, white shirt. Ducking under the frame, he slowly dropped down onto the grassy ground, crossing his arms to hold in the warmth as he headed away from the wooden cabin. Pausing in his tracks, he took one last look back at what he had once called home. Sighing, his breath made visible by the cold, his mind forced him to turn away, taking off into the night as fast as he could.

Erik sat by the fireplace, his gaze refusing to look away from the spectacle of flickering embers and orange flames. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he quickly turned to see Caroline standing behind him, a small smile on her face.

"Something wrong?" she asked, removing her hand and crossing her arms.

"No, I'm fine" Erik stated, turning back to fire earnestly, getting a chuckle to exit his wife's throat.

"Come on, I know when you're feeling bad. It's because of Talon, isn't it?" she queried, getting her husband to sigh and run his hand down his face, causing his skin to stretch downwards briefly.

"Of course it is. I just hate it when he disobeys my orders" Erik revealed, causing a comforting look to appear on Caroline's face. Bending down, she pulled her husband into a reverse-hug and gently kissed him on the cheek.  
"Hey, I disapprove of his theft obsession just as much as you. But you can't get him to stop with yelling and violence. You need to treat him with respect, he's your son after all" Caroline soothed, getting her husband to smile as his cheeks warmed up.

"I guess I should go and apologize" Erik suggested, standing up as Caroline released him from her hug.

"Now that's the wild-eyed Nord I fell in love with" she agreed, kissing him once more before he headed over to Talon's room. Turning the handle, Erik opened the door.

"Talon, I-" he paused, his eyes widening as he observed the empty room. Heading over to the open window, he looked out into the night, seeing no sign of his son. Or anything else for that matter.

"Erik, what's going on?" Caroline asked from the doorway, causing Erik to quickly turn around.

"Talon's gone" he answered worriedly, his heartbeat increasing rapidly.

"He's gone? What are you talking about?" Caroline asked uneasily, tears beginning to surface in her eyes. Pushing past her, Erik opened the front door and walked outside, heading a few feet away from the house and looking in every possible direction.

"Talon?!" he called out, his voice somewhat echoing across the land as he awaited a response. Hearing nothing, he felt his heart sink. He knew that, deep down, this was all his fault. Bringing his hands to his mouth, he called out again, more out of guilt than of concern.

"TALON!"

**- Whiterun Stables, six days since Talon was bitten -**

"Talon?"

Gasping, Talon quickly sat up on the wooden carriage's bench, seeing Ailios sitting opposite. Taking in deep breaths, he looked around at the carriage's other inhabitants. Sitting beside him was Helgor, his arms crossed and his eyes closed, possibly trying his best to get some sleep. Leia and Freyja sat beside Ailios, giving Talon the same look of concern.

"Are you okay? You drifted off for a second" Leia asked, concerned for Talon's well being just as much as the others.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little drowsy is all" he replied, doing his best to put on a grin. Ailios couldn't blame him for his fatigue. He had been this way since they had left Riften. His skin had turned pale, bags had formed under his eyes and, as you would expect, he had claimed to be unbelievably thirsty. Helgor had taken a bottle of water with them when they left, but Talon had finished it off in less than an hour. Somehow, Ailios had known that her blood wasn't enough.

"We're here" Sigaar, the driver, announced, nodding towards the large city ahead of them. Pulling on the horses' reigns, the carriage came to a halt, allowing the five passengers to get off. Reaching into his pocket, Helgor pulled out 20 gold and handed it to Sigaar, getting a grateful nod from the carriage driver as they headed up the path to the city.

**- Jorrvaskr, home of the Companions -**

Athis, the Dunmer, swiftly placed the shot glass back on the wooden table between him and Arowa, gasping for air as he swallowed the remaining Alto wine. Instantly, each onlooker standing around the table turned to Arowa, sitting across from him. Six shots each had been placed in front of them, with only three remaining for Arowa and two for Athis. Between each row of shots was a stack of coin, assorted potions and the occasional soul gem. This was the prize for whoever could hold their liquor the longest. Taking in deep breaths, Arowa shakily reached out for one of the shots and brought it to her lips. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, allowing the alcoholic liquid to pour down her throat. Smirking, she placed the shot glass back on the table, brushing a loose strand of brown hair behind her pointed ear. Each head turned back to Athis as he reached for his fifth shot, some with their fingers crossed having placed bets on him. Unfortunately, before the glass could even touch his lips, his eyes rolled back and he fell off his chair, dropping unconsciously to the floor. Groans of defeat and victorious laughs erupted from the group of spectators, some begrudgingly handing various sums of coin over to the other. Wiping her forehead on her arm, Arowa stood up and placed her winnings in the sack beside her chair, closing it tightly before swinging it over her shoulder. As she began to head away, Arowa paused as a familiar face entered the front entrance. Grinning, she gently placed the sack on the ground beside her and went over to greet her friend.

"Good to see you again, Helgor" she greeted, allowing the burly Nord to pull her into a hug.

"And you, Arowa" he returned, releasing her heartily. Normally, Helgor wouldn't stand being in the presence of a Wood Elf. Arowa was an exception. A long time ago, whilst hiking through The Pale, Helgor was ambushed by a hoard of Frostbite spiders. Seemingly doomed, he was surprised to see multiple arrows fly out of nowhere and kill each spider instantly. He was even more surprised to see a Wood Elf emerge from behind a rock and assist him to his feet. Since then, him and Arowa had stayed in touch, getting in the occasional spot of bother with a Sabre cat or clearing out a cave crawling with Draugr.

"So, what brings you here?" she asked, her question answered for her as she saw the young Nord standing behind Helgor, his skin gradually turning white and his once unique leather armor reduced to mere remnants. Behind him stood Ailios, Leia and Freyja, all looking to the Wood Elf desperately.

"We have a problem" Helgor spoke, turning back to look at the slowly deteriorating thief with a look of concern.

Arowa grimaced at the sight of Talon's blackened wolf bite, quickly covering it back up with the bandages tied around his ribs. To avoid prying eyes, the group had relocated to the sleeping quarters of Jorrvaskr, gathering around the bed Talon was sitting on. Once down there, Helgor had explained the situation to Arowa and had allowed her to check Talon's symptoms.

"Terminal Lycanthropy, huh? Never thought I'd be dealing with this" she disclosed, worrying Talon as he brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"So, you don't know how to cure it?" he assumed, now sounding genuinely scared. His mind suddenly became fraught with questions. What would happen if he couldn't be cured? Would he have to be put down? Or would his wolf spirit beat them to the punch? Fortunately, his worries were put to rest as Arowa answered him.

"I never said that. Your wolf spirit may be corrupted, but it can be dealt with just like any other" she reassured, calming Talon down, yet confusing him at the same time.

"How? And where did you learn so much about werewolves anyway?" he asked, causing Arowa to go silent, her gaze shifting to the floor as she tried to think of a good excuse.

"You may as well tell him, Arowa" Freyja insisted, causing all eyes to turn to face her.

"Tell him what?" Ailios questioned, raising an eyebrow and turning back to face Arowa, crossing her arms. Outnumbered, Arowa sighed, brushing another strand of hair behind her ear.

"Years ago, before Kodlak Whitemane became Harbinger, one of his predecessors made a with the witches of Glenmoril Coven: they would give the Companions great power, but only if we hunted in the name of Hircine. He didn't know that the power was Lycanthropy" she explained, causing Talon's weary eyes to briefly widen in surprise.

"Wait...so...you...a-and you..." he stammered, looking back and forth between Arowa and Freyja. Nervously, Freyja nodded her head.

"I was given the gift when I joined. We both were" she admitted, looking to Arowa for support. Smiling, she nodded in reassurance.

"Why didn't you tell us back at the Cistern?" Leia asked her sister bewilderingly, raising an eyebrow.

"'Cause I was worried how you'd react. I...I'm sorry" Freyja apologized, looking down at the ground regretfully.

"It's water under the bridge. The problem for now is getting that...abomination out of Talon" Helgor reminded, pointing to the teenage Nord's partially exposed chest.

"He's right. Did the witches say how the power could be lifted?" Ailios asked, turning to the Bosmer companion.

"Unfortunately not. But Kodlak was able to find out before he died. He learned that, since the witches' powers were what caused the curse in the first place, only they could remove it" Arowa explained, pausing as Talon added his own input.

"So, we just go up to the witches and ask them to take it away?" he assumed, anything to get him cured faster.

"It's not that simple. Or suicidal. When Kodlak wanted to be cured, he sent Aela, Farkas and Vilkas to cure his spirit of the Lycanthropy. First, they needed the head of one of the witches. Then they headed to Ysgramor's tomb. After that, they never spoke about it again" Arowa explained, trying her best to reassure him.

"Their coven's just northwest of Falkreath. Me and Leia could get one, then meet the rest of you at Ysgramor's tomb" Freyja suggested, getting looks agreement all around.

"That's not a bad idea. But what do we do with the head when we get there?" Leia asked, turning to face Arowa, expecting her to answer.

"We'll figure it out as we go along. Where's the tomb located?" Helgor asked afterward, also facing Arowa.

"On an island, northwest of Winterhold. If we hurry, we can be there by nightfall" she answered, raising Talon's spirits ever so slightly.

"Then it's settled: me and Leia will go get the head and the four of you will meet as at the tomb" Freyja confirmed, getting a confirmatory nod from Helgor.

"Let's just hope this thing doesn't catch on to what we're doing" Talon hoped, raising a hand to his heart worriedly.

**- Later, outside Glenmoril Coven -**

Leia stood outside the cave impatiently, tossing her dagger in the air over and over again, catching it by the handle every time. Freyja had entered the cave not too long ago, later accompanied by a werewolf's howl. A few seconds later, the sounds of spells being cast and hagravens screaming echoed off the cave walls, sending chills down Leia's spine as they were quickly silenced. After that, the cave was silent for a brief period time, worrying the blonde haired thief as she awaited her sister's reappearance. Hearing the sound of boots stomping down and gravel, Leia quickly turned her head in the direction of the cave's entrance. Sure enough, Freyja emerged from the dark abyss, a bloodied, burlap sack in her grasp. The sack contained an almost spherical shape, a sight which nearly made Leia sick.

"Is...that the head?" she asked, nearly retching as the scent of the severed head hit her nostrils.

"Sure is. Took it off with one swing" Freyja answered almost proudly, raising her free hand, now stained the same color as her dark, crimson hair. Rolling her eyes, Leia started heading in the direction of Windhelm, Freyja following suite soon after. As she walked, Leia's gaze slowly shifted to her sister's blood drenched hand, her nails still sharp from her previous transformation. Freyja couldn't help but notice this behavior.

"What's wrong?" she asked, following her gaze down to her hand.

"Nothing. It's just...what does it feel like? Being a werewolf I mean?" Leia asked, making things clearer for her sister.

"Not that different. Makes winning fights a whole lot easier though" Freyja answered contentedly, getting her sister to let out a small chuckle as they continued over the grassy landscape.

**- Much later, Ysgramor's tomb -**

Helgor and Arowa were sitting just outside the tomb's door, catching on up their different adventures. As for Talon and Ailios, they were sitting across from them, discussing their various tales of thievery and escape.

"No way. That did not happen" Talon denied, somehow staying positive due to his current condition, his skin paler than it had been at Jorrvaskr.

"Yes it did. So, I'm running over the hill, it's pitch black outside and I can hear the guards catching up to me. I get to the bottom of the hill and what do I find? A farm. The guards are getting closer, so I run over to the cow's pen and jump inside. I had to wait in there for half an hour until they finally went away. By the time I get back to Cistern, I'm covered in mud and cow shit" she retold, causing the two of them burst out laughing.

"I have to admit. That is pretty crazy. But I've been through worse" Talon retorted, surprising his friend.

"Like what?" she questioned, crossing her arms expectantly. Talon wasn't worried, there was no way she could top his story.  
"You remember not too long ago when Jarl Siddgeir's circlet was stolen from Solitude?" he asked, putting on his trademark grin. As you'd expect, it didn't take Ailios long to catch on.

"That was you?" she asked, getting him to nod in response.

"I shit you not, I had every guard in the city after me. And I escape from them by jumping off a bridge" Talon explained, content with how Ailios was hanging on to every word.

"What did you do with the circlet?" she asked, causing Talon to reach inside his satchel. When his hand reemerged, he held the ebony circlet in his grasp, causing Ailios' mouth to drop open in amazement.

"Wow, it's beautiful" she commented, amazed by the amount of precision gone into its crafting.

"I know. I can't imagine how much I can sell it for on the black market" Talon answered, holding it up to the sunset to observe its workmanship. Hearing this, Ailios' smile reverted into a confused expression.

"You're going to sell it?" she asked, watching as he studied its design.

"Yep. As soon as I'm done here in Skyrim, I'm going to sell this off, get a ride to Cyrodiil and start fresh. Try and get my life back" he explained, causing a look of hurt to appear on Ailios' face.

"Oh. So...you're just going to leave?" she asked, turning her head away to hide her depressed visage. Unfortunately, her depressed tone had captured Talon's attention, concerning him as he turned to face her.

"I guess so. Do you have a reason why I should stay?" he asked in response, their gazes locking as she looked back at him. There was a brief silence between the two as their eyes met, the emerald green of his merging with the sapphire blue of hers. Both of them too mesmerized to speak.

"We got the head" Freyja's voice called from above them as her and Leia made their way down the stone steps into the stone barrow the tomb was located. Quickly, both Talon and Ailios quickly departed from their close encounter, standing back up to avoid suspicion, Helgor and Arowa following suit. As the sisters joined them at the bottom of the steps, they all headed for the entrance, pausing as Helgor turned back to face them.

"Remember, there could be anything in there. Stay sharp" he warned as he reached for the stone door, slowly pushing it open and allowing the cold air to promptly enter the tomb.

Passing the tall statue of Ysgramor himself, the group cautiously made their way down into the cave, their weapons raised and ready for any surprises. Eventually, they came across a large chamber, the floor a shallow river or water lined with vines, both sides lined with black, stone coffins, wooden support beams lining the walls and ceiling. Before stepping in the shallow water, Helgor sternly looked back at the others once more.

"Be careful" he warned, placing his left foot into the water, a ripple flowing across the surface of the water as he did so. Almost instantly, rasping voice echoed around the chamber, amplified by the stone walls surrounding them. They all gasped as multiple spectral apparitions emerged from the closed caskets placed along each wall, their ghostly weapons prepared to dismember the intruders. These were the ghosts of former companions. Arowa's eyes widened in fear, she knew they didn't have much time.

"Move! Quickly!" she instructed, a direction which everybody eagerly obliged, desperately running through the shallow water with small splashes lapping at their heels. As the spirits made their way towards the group, Freyja turned to face Helgor, handing the bloodied sack over to him.

"Me and Leia have got this. We'll catch up when we can" she explained earnestly, getting an accepting nod from Helgor as he lead Arowa, Ailios and Talon through to the next chamber, picking up speed as the sound of fire materializing out of the thin air and blades colliding followed them. Arriving in the next chamber, everyone froze out of fear. The walls, floors and stone pillars were enveloped in a familiar, white material. Spider webs.

"Shit..." Ailios and Talon whispered simultaneously, on the off chance they'd attract a predator to their location. Luckily, no such thing happened.

"Don't worry, they probably got cleared out when Aela and the others first came here. Just take it slowly and don't make any sudden movements" Arowa whispered reassuringly, taking in a deep breath. Slowly, the four of them headed past the multiple webs and spider eggs and into the next chamber, freezing as they noticed what was inside. However, their shuffling had attracted the attention of the creatures standing across from them. Two small frostbite spiders began to crawl in their direction, to transfixed on devouring them to notice Arowa take out her bow and a single arrow. Pulling it back in the string, she released it, hitting the first spider straight in the head, killing it. As for the other one, it made the mistake of going to Helgor. Retrieving his Nightingale blade, he gripped the handle tightly and drove it the blade into the abnormal arachnid, watching as a mixture of blood and venom began to spread across the floor. Suddenly, a shadow formed from above, in the form of an even bigger frostbite spider, emerging from the open hole in the ceiling.

"Ailios, you and Talon go ahead. We'll hold it off" he ordered, handing her the sack before making his way towards the collosal spider, taking a swing at one of its legs and causing it to squeal as the blade pierced its skin. Obliging, Ailios and Talon quickly moved on to the next chamber, leaving the Nord and the Wood Elf to face the mighty beast. Quickly running down the steps, a wave of nausea suddenly washed over Talon, causing him to stumble and fall down, scaring Ailios as she ran back to help him. Kneeling down, she held his chin and moved it up so she could see his face, now turning a ghostly white, reminding her of the ghosts they'd left Leia and Freyja to fight.

"Talon?" she asked, almost whispering, her voice catching in her throat as she observed her friend's withering form. With his breathing becoming scratchy, she put his arm over her shoulder and painstakingly lifted him back onto his feet, a low groan escaping from between his lips.

"C'mon, we're almost there" she urged, helping him as he limped through the burial tomb and through to a large chamber. Like the room full of spirits, the walls were lined with stone caskets. But that wasn't what caught their attention. Placed in the center of the chamber, on an old, stone pedestal, was a mystical, blue fire. As they approached it, Ailios let go of Talon's shoulder, allowing him to groggily stand freely.

"What are we supposed to do with the head?" she queried, looking down at the sack in her hands, the stench becoming more than she could handle.

"I have...a theory" Talon answered, his hand frailly reaching out for the sack. Worried that she'd hurt him somehow, Ailios gently placed it in his hand, her heart beating rapidly as she feared for his health. Pulling open the sack, Talon nearly wretched at the scent of the gradually decomposing head, the skin already turning grey and clammy. Dropping the sack to the floor, Talon held the witches head by the hair, seconds before dropping it in the fire. As soon as the flames engulfed the decapitated head, a sudden pain developed in Talon's chest, causing him to stagger as a bright red light shone through the tears in his armor. Ailios backed away, covering her mouth in horror as Talon screamed in agony, the profane condition of his wolf spirit making its excretion much more painful than any other. Until suddenly, a red-outlined, transparent wolf burst forth from Talon's chest, landing on the other side of the pedestal. Immediately, Talon's skin returned to its former color, bringing back his trademark grin before he noticed the wolf spirit standing across from him. The deranged and disembodied spirit looked back and forth between the thieves, its gaze finally resting on Ailios, bearing its teeth hungrily. As for Ailios, she was frozen in place, her legs immobilized by the growing fear inside of her. As the wolf began to advance on her, a voice sounded from the other side of the chamber.

"Don't you touch her!" Talon ordered, narrowing his eyes at the spirit as it looked in his direction, suddenly loosing interest in Ailios.

"This is between you and me, fuzzball. Bring it" he threatened, retrieving his dagger from his belt and wielding it defensively. Snarling, the wolf charged in his direction and pounced on him, instantly knocking him to the floor. Ailios watched in horror as Talon and the wolf rolled around on the floor, the combined sounds of Talon's shouts and the wolf's snarls filling her ears. With a burst of strength, Talon shoved the wolf off of him, quickly regaining his footing. Now standing up, Ailios could see the scratches the wolf had left on Talon's exposed skin, slowly bleeding out with each heartbeat. His pulse vibrating, Talon and the wolf began to circle each other, neither of them breaking eye contact. Unfortunately for Talon, the wolf made the first move. Lunging at the teenage Nord, the wolf pinned him to the ground and knocked his dagger out of his hand on impact, clamping its apparitional teeth into his arm with a fierce snap. Crying out, Talon could feel his veins being lacerated and his warm blood seeping down his arm as the wolf treated it like a dead rabbit. Looking to his left, he saw his dagger just out of reach. Trying his best to ignore the pain searing through his arm, he desperately tried to reach for the blade, his fingers just brushing the handle almost mockingly. All of a sudden, Talon felt the wolf cease its biting, his maimed arm limply dropping to the ground. Gasping out in pain, he watched the wolf spirit drop to his side, an iron dagger shoved into its back. As its eyes finally shut, it vanished into thin air, the dagger dropping to the ground with a clatter. Looking up to where the wolf had previously been standing, he saw a merciful sight. Ailios towered over him, breathing heavily, one hand still unclenched as if she was holding an invisible blade. Both of them looked to where the wolf spirit had previously been lying, then back at each other. Kneeling down in front of Talon, Ailios quickly pulled him into a hug, letting a tear of joy stream down her face she embraced him, Talon's trademark grin reemerging as a response. As they departed, Ailios looked over to his arm, gasping at the state it was in. Luckily, the sound of footsteps coming from the chamber's entrance filled their ears, resulting in Helgor, Arowa, Leia and Freyja heading over to them. Seeing Talon's arm, Arowa gasped in shock, quickly joining the others as they ran to his aid.

"Did you deal with the spirit?" Helgor asked, helping Talon lift his arm and trying to make less painful.

"Yeah, it's gone for good" he reassured, looking over to Ailios thankfully, his heart racing as she smiled back at him.

"We better get him back to the Cistern" Leia suggested, watching as Helgor assisted Talon to his feet. Now victorious, the group headed out of the chamber, ready to make the journey back to Riften.

**- The Ragged Flagon Cistern -**

Talon irritably scratched his neck, the sling around his arm causing it to itch irrepressibly. As the itch went away, he sighed, looking down at the leather rags clinging to his body. He'd been sitting on Ailios' bed for a while now, waiting for her to return. She'd said she had a surprise for him. Hearing footsteps approaching, he turned to see her with a bundle of leather in her arms. A set of armor. Thieves Guild armor.

"I had a talk with Brynjolf and he said, due to your condition," she paused, quickly glancing at the remnants of his armor, "you could borrow these"

"Seriously? Thieves Guild armor?" he questioned, taking the leather components from her grasp with his one good arm.

"Do you have a problem with that?" she queried, giving him a stern look, yet keeping a smile on her face.

"No, of course not. It's just that I'm not even a member" Talon reminded, trying his best to return the smile.

"You're a thief though. That seems like a legit reason. Why don't you go try it on?" she insisted, getting a sly expression to emerge on Talon's face.

"Is this another excuse to see me with my shirt off?" he asked, causing his cheeks to turn red. He couldn't help but chuckle at this, earning himself a punch in the arm. The good one.

"Get over yourself, prisoner" she joked, getting Talon to roll his eyes implausibly.

"Really? You're back to calling me that again?" he asked, getting her to smile again.

"Yeah, it suits you. Now go try it on" she ushered, turning away to give him some privacy. However, as she heard him dropping the rags to the ground, she peeked around to get a quick glance of his developing abs before turning away again. She heard him let out a gasp of pain as he placed his sling back over his neck.

"How do I look?" he asked, allowing her to turn back to face him. The armor was dyed black, just like Vex's, the multiple buckles gleaming silver.

"Wow, that actually suits you" she commented, getting him to put on his trademark grin once more.

"Really? I never thought black was my color" he revealed, causing Ailios to give him a dumbfounded expression. Seeing this, Talon let out a chuckle.  
"Just kidding" he clarified, getting her to giggle with relief. He didn't know why, but he loved hearing her laugh.

"All you need to do is lose the sling and you're good to go" Ailios suggested, heading over to him and brushing some lint from his shoulders, being careful not to hurt his arm.

"How long do I have to wear this...liability for anyway?" he asked, almost insulting his arm like it had a mind of its own. Ailios couldn't help but roll her eyes at his sullenness.

"It's hard to say. A couple of months ago, when Sapphire broke her arm, it took about five...maybe six weeks" she answered, slightly worried about how he'd react. Blowing his hair out of his eyes, Talon looked down at his busted appendage with a sigh, feeling almost vulnerable.

"You okay?" Ailios asked, rubbing his back comfortingly. Turning to look at her, he smiled, as if her near-angelic voice had taken all his worries away.

"Don't worry. I'm fine. Just need to take it easy on the thieving for a while" he replied, the greens of his eyes more than enough to make Ailios' heart flutter. Breaking eye contact, the two of them sat down on Ailios' bed, side by side, their shoulders almost touching.

"You know, if you want to, you could stay here and work with us until your arm heals" she assumed, getting Talon to look at her with surprise.

"You mean...work with the Guild?" he asked, wondering if he'd caught on to what she was thinking.

"Sure. It's less dangerous and, most importantly, you can still reel in a lot of coin" Ailios explained. Upon hearing the final word of that sentence, Talon's eyes widened as if he'd just seen Vex bathing in the lake.

"I'm listening" he ushered with interest. Ailios smiled, she'd got him hooked.

"Vex and Delvin can set you up with different jobs, stealing from houses, pickpocketing, you name it. If we work together, we can split the loot fifty-fifty" she explained, intriguing her friend as he considered this partnership. He obviously trusted her. And she had saved his life more than once. But there was something else. Something which made butterflies fly around in his stomach whenever she smiled at him. Whenever she spoke. Whenever she brushed a strand of silver-tipped hair out of her eyes. Somehow he knew, deep down, if he left, if he went off to risk his life again, he'd never forgive himself for leaving her behind.

"I'm in" he agreed, holding out his hand in acceptance. Ailios held back a cheer as she took hold of his hand and shook it.

"Talon, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" she commented, still shaking his hand with a smile.

**A/N: More coming soon.**

**Helgor – created by Dionysie.**

**Leia and Freyja – created by MsTaz511.**

**Ailios – created by iGaMzEeX.**

**Arowa – created by Dauntershi.**

**Laters**

**-7**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – The Bedlam Job

Before...

Talon crossed his arms, the blowing wind scratching at his exposed skin and creeping under his shirt. He looked up at the sky, gazing at Masser and Secunda, the twin moons, as they continued on their journey around Nirn. Suddenly, Talon felt a drop of water suddenly hit his eye, causing him to pause and wipe it away. Feeling a second droplet hit his shirt, he sighed as he realized what was about to happen. Sprinting onwards, he ducked beneath a large tree as the rain began to pour down, trapping him under the foliage. Talon removed his satchel, placing it beside him before pulling his knees to his chest, trying to hold in as much heat as possible. As the sound of thunder crashed overhead, Talon gazed out into the storm, causing him to snivel as a tear rolled down his cheek. As you could guess, this was the first time Talon had ever run away. But it was not the first fight he had ever had with his father. Talon had taken up stealing not too long ago, stealing the occasional item from a store or cart. But as time went on, he began to get a little extravagant. Going for coin purses and other valuable items. His parents had no idea until he had gotten caught in Markarth. And since then, his father had never looked at him the same way. With these memories resurfacing, Talon buried his face into his knees, letting out choked sobs as the storm raged around him.

Now...

The light from a candle shone in Talon's eyes as he awoke, using his one good arm to push himself up. He gasped as he accidentally applied pressure to his broken bones, quickly readjusting his sling. Placing his feet over the side of the bed, he stood up and flexed his neck, sighing contently as he heard the sound of bones clicking back into place. He headed past other guild members, giving them hailing nods to which they returned jovially. Heading over the small wooden bridge, he paused to watch as Niruin launched another arrow at the straw mannequin, hitting it straight in the head.

"Nice shot. Almost as good as me" Talon commented, earning an overplayed glance from the Bosmer.

"In your dreams, boy. You couldn't hit the side of barn" he countered competitively, a surprised expression now spreading across Talon's face, accompanied by his trademark grin.

"Hey, as soon as I'm out of this sling, I'll make you eat those words" he threatened jokingly, heading away towards the entrance of the Ragged Flagon.

"I'm looking forward to it" Niruin called after him, grinning as he drew another arrow from his quiver and placed it in the string of his bow.

Vekel grinned as the teenage Nord approached the bar, taking a seat on his usual stool.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, nodding to Talon's sling.

"Better than a week ago. Got any mead left?" he asked, doing his best to peek over the bar to observe its contents. Grinning, Vekel reached under the counter and retrieved a bottle, placing it in front of the thief. Talon pulled out the cork and took a long swig, placing it back down on the bar with a soft clink.

"Nord Mead: the best thing to get you up in the morning" sighed, stretching his good arm the best he could.

"No doubt about that. Have you enjoyed your first week with the Guild?" Vekel asked, grabbing his rag and slowly wiping down the surface of the bar.

"As a matter of fact, I have. It's different than what I thought it would be like" Talon answered, craning his neck to observe the other patrons, each one either conversing with another or sitting by themselves.

"What did you think it would be like?" Vekel asked, attracting Talon's attention once again.

"Umm...it's hard to explain. When I first heard of it, I thought it'd be full of scum and lowlifes who'd do anything to make a quick profit. No offense" he apologized, giving Vekel a contrite look.

"None taken. So, since you've spent a week with us, what do you think of it now?" he asked again, placing his rag back underneath the bar.

"I think it's amazing. Everyone looks out for each other, there's no killing involved, it's like..." he trailed off, trying to find the right words.

"...you've found a place where people accept you?" Vekel finished for him, amazing the teenage thief.

"Yeah. Not like other factions" Talon replied, concerning Vekel as he spoke with a deeper tone.

"What other factions?" he questioned, disquieted by Talon's sudden change in emotion. Talon froze, realizing he'd said too much.

"It doesn't matter. Let's just say that...a long time ago, I kind of got mixed in with the wrong group of people" he answered, doing his best to avoid the subject.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Vekel asked, knowing that he could keep a secret. He had been told so many, he had lost almost count.

"Not really. Could we talk about something else?" Talon requested, giving Vekel a despairing glance, showing the seriousness of his bid.

"Of course. Have you made any new friends?" he played along, slightly raising Talon's spirits.

"A few. Niruin, Delvin, Sapphire and others" he answered, reaching for his mead and taking another swig.

"What about Ailios?" Vekel asked, a grin spreading across his lips as Talon's eyes widened.

"Sure. Why?" he asked in response, the apprehension in his voice almost making Vekel laugh.

"No reason. I've just heard that you two have been spending a lot of time together" he mentioned, causing Talon to look around worriedly, making sure Ailios wasn't anywhere in the surrounding area.

"I guess so. She's a great thief, an amazing fighter, a good friend..." he paused, unknowingly trailing off. Vekel grinned, knowing this was the perfect time to ask.

"Really? JUST a friend?" he asked slyly, causing Talon to suddenly bolt upright on his stool.

"I...um...why do you ask?" he stammered, putting on his best look of innocence.  
"Well, since you two like each other, I thought you may be..." he left his sentence on a cliffhanger, wondering if Talon would catch on.

"Oh...you mean...no. No. Definitely not. I mean...I...I'm not sure" he rambled, confusing the barkeep as he listened to his answer.

"How come?" Vekel asked, crossing his arms intently. Sighing, Talon reached for his mead and took yet another long guzzle, wiping his mouth on his sleeve as he placed it back down on the bar.

"It...it's complicated. Sure, we're best friends. And, of course, I've thought about being more than that. But...what would I say? And what if she turns me down?" he considered out loud, amusing Vekel. He remembered what it was like at that age, when you had no idea what to say to a girl you liked.

"Take my advice, boy. The main thing to do is wait until you are certain she feels the same way. Then, when that time comes, take your chance. And most importantly, try not to screw it up" he explained, sounding to Talon like a true philosopher. Talon redirected his gaze to the floor, taking in the barkeep's advice. After a few seconds of deep thought, Talon grinned, looking up at Vekel appreciatively.

"You're right. Thanks, Vekel" Talon acknowledged, earning a warmhearted smile from him.

"No problem. And since we're on that subject, Ailios wanted to talk with you behind the Bee and Barb. Said it was important" Vekel disclosed, causing Talon to quickly finish the rest of his beverage and get up from his stool.

"Thanks again. I'll see you later" he bid farewell, heading back over to the Cistern's entrance.

"One more thing" Vekel called after him, causing him to stop in his tracks. Intrigued, Talon turned to face him.

"She prefers to be called Ally. Just saying" he advised, earning in return one of Talon's trademark smirks before he disappeared back inside the Cistern.

**- Riften -**

Talon headed out into the marketplace, trying to avoid the bustling people as they approached different stools. Heading out of the town square, he headed round the back of the Bee and Barb, butterflies suddenly materializing in his gut as he saw his friend leaning against the woodwork. Surprisingly enough, she was with someone. He was a Wood Elf, maybe a couple of years younger than him and Ailios. He had black hair, almost covering his striking, blue eyes and an ebony piercing on his bottom lip. From the neck down, he wore a set of sepia-colored Thieves Guild armor.

"Friend of yours?" Talon asked, surprising both of them as they both turned in his direction.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up. This is Zek. He's our latest recruit" Ailios introduced, allowing the two of them to stand face to face.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Talon" he introduced considerately, getting a smile to appear on the young Bosmer's face.

"I know. Ailios has told me all about you" he replied, causing Talon's eyebrows to rise startlingly.

"Really? What has she said?" he asked, turning to look at his friend with a grin, causing her cheeks to turn a light shade of red.

"Nothing bad. Just what you've been doing since you joined the Guild" Ailios answered, doing her best to hide her blush.

"Did you seriously beat Dirge at arm-wrestling? With a broken arm?" Zek asked, gesturing to Talon's injury.

"I tried to warn him. He didn't believe me" Talon defended, getting Zek and Ailios to laugh.

"By the way, Vekel said you had something important to talk about" he mentioned, looking to Ailios expectantly.

"You bet. I'm taking you and Zek on your first Bedlam Jobs" she answered, brushing a strand of grey-tipped brown hair behind her ear. Simultaneously, both Talon and Zek exchanged confused glances.  
"What's a Bedlam Job?" Zek asked, resulting in Ailios rolling her eyes.

"It's simple. We got to one of the cities, in this case, Whiterun and collect a certain amount of gold in total. You can steal items, take spare change, you name it. As long as you don't get caught, the job gets completed" she explained, making things a lot clearer for the newest members.

"Sounds fun. When do we head to Whiterun?" Talon asked, sounding intrigued by this new venture. Ailios grinned at the eagerness of his tone.

"I'll get us a ride after I've shown Zek around the Ratways. I don't want him wandering into the Warrens on his first day" she answered, turning to face Zek.

"What's down in the Warrens anyway?" he asked nervously, looking to both Talon and Ailios anxiously.

"Trust me. It's best that you don't know" Ailios warned, causing Zek to gulp at her response.

Before...

"Damn, this guy has hardly anything in here. Nothing worth selling at least"

"Quit complaining. He could wake up at any second"

Talon stirred as these voices filled his ears. He slowly leaned forward, squinting as his eyes readjusted to the sunlight. Blinking, he looked to the left, surprised at what he saw. Two strangers were standing a few feet away from the tree he had been resting under, one of them held his satchel, the other was sifting through it, looking for items of value no doubt. Narrowing his eyes, Talon quickly stood up.

"Hey!" he called out, startling the two figures as they quickly turned in his direction. They both wore a unique set of black, leather armor. It had short sleeves with three buckles holding it together across the front. Also, their faces were covered by black cowls, only their eyes were visible through the horizontal gap in the fabric.

"Shit. Run!" one of them instructed before taking off in a sprint, his tone deep and masculine. A male voice. No sooner had he started running, his accomplice followed suit. Reacting fast, Talon took off after them, doing his best to slip over on the dew-covered grass. He watched the two thieves intently as the continued their sprint, leaping over multiple rocks and fallen trees blocking their path. Talon did his best to copy their actions, but mostly ended up climbing over them, allowing the thieves to get further and further away. Luckily, Talon wasn't one to give up easy. Breathing rapidly, he closed in on the male thief, grabbing him around the waist and pulling him to the ground, causing him to fall down. The other thief ceased her run, pausing to look back at her unaided comrade. As both Talon and the male thief stood back up, the second thief started making her way back over.

"It's okay. I can handle him" the male thief reassured, reaching for his belt tranquilly. However, as his hand felt his belt, he looked down in shock, looking around at the ground he stood on for a certain item. Hearing a chuckle, he looked over to Talon, his eyes wide with what looked like amazement.

"Missing something?" Talon asked, revealing the male thief's steel dagger, clasped in his hand.

"Now, just give me back my bag-" he negotiated before feeling somebody plough into his side and send him back to the ground, causing the dagger to fly out of his grasp. As soon as he made contact with the ground, he felt a sudden weight on his chest, pinning him down. Looking up fearfully, he saw the second thief kneeling on top of him, her exposed eyes glaring down at his helpless form. In her hand was an unusual weapon, a pickaxe. However, it wasn't an average pickaxe. The pick was crafted from pure steel and the handle had been fashioned from the timber of a redwood tree. Inscribed into the handle was a strange combination of symbols, partially hidden by her hand. Raising it above her head, the second thief quickly brought it down. Quickly, Talon tweaked his head to the left, the pick lodging itself in the earth beside him. Growling angrily, the second thief raised it from the ground and brought it down a second time. But Talon dodged it again, the pick scraping his earlobe as it burrowed into the dirt once more.

"Stay still!" she ordered, raising her free hand to Talon's neck, holding him in place. Petrified, Talon clamped his eyes shut as the second thief raised her pickaxe a final time, the light from the sun gleaming off the pick. Then, as quickly as she had raised it, she plunged it down, aiming it straight at Talon's face.

Now...

**- Whiterun -**

The three thieves made their way up the cobblestone pathway which led to Whiterun's gates. After a long horse ride, they had finally arrived at the capital city of Whiterun Hold, the spire of Dragonsreach threatening to pierce the sky. As they approached the large, wooden gates, their faces became expressionless, trying their best to avoid eye contact with guards standing on either side of the entrance. As she led her friends to the gate, Ailios reached for the gate handle and pushed it open, allowing her and her friends access to the city.

"Hey" one of the guards abruptly said, catching the three thieves off guard as they turned to face him.

"Don't think I haven't seen that armor before. You better not be here to cause trouble" he forewarned, crossing his arms. His facial expression frozen in the indentations of his helmet. Narrowing her eyes, Ailios ushered Talon and Zek through the gate, staying behind as she and the guard exchanged glares.

"Keep your mouth shut and there won't be any trouble" she countered, following her friends through the gate as the guard let out a hoarse exhale. As the gate closed behind them, the three thieves glanced around at Whiterun's interior, beholding the sight of children playing, friends catching up and shopkeepers selling various merchandise.

"I can't explain this. But this place seems...different since we last came here. Like it's happier" Talon thought out loud, attracting Ailios' attention.

"That's cause the last time you were here you had a pissed off werewolf spirit inside you" she reminded self-righteously, earning a teasing grin from Talon as he looked at her.

"So, what do we need to steal?" Zek asked, breaking the moment between the two friends as he questioned their job.

"Anything you think is worth stealing. Meet back here in three hours and we'll see how much we've acquired" Ailios explained, getting nods of agreement from her comrades.

"Good luck" Talon finished, bidding farewell to his fellow thieves as they each departed, heading in different directions.

**- Later -**

Ailios, Zek and Talon gathered near the entrance to Whiterun, using a sack they had "found" behind the Battle-Born house as a means of carrying it home. Ailios dug through the items they had collected, ranging from coin to weapons and armor.

"So? How much do you think we have?" Talon asked, eager to leave the city before the guards caught on to their plan.

"We hauled in some good loot. We need just one more item to make it an even three hundred gold" Ailios answered, looking up at the two of them as she removed her hands from the sack.

"Leave it to me" Zek reassured, standing up and heading towards Ysolda calmly. Then, just as he approached the female Nord, he stumbled, accidentally knocking into her. Talon and Ailios tried to hold back laughs as Zek regained his footing.

"Are you okay, Miss? I'm so sorry" he apologized, earning a smile from the trader as she dusted herself down.

"That's quite alright, young man. I appreciate your apology" she replied, giving him a smile as she continued on her way back to her house. Quickly, Zek headed back over to Ailios and Talon, rolling his eyes as they began to laugh at him. However, as he sat down beside them, he held out his hand, revealing an iron dagger in his grasp. Ysolda's dagger.

"Will this do?" he asked proudly, placing it in the sack with the rest of their loot.

"That'll do nicely" Ailios replied, closing the sack and tying up the loose end.

"Now let's get out of here before she notices" Talon suggested, glancing back to make sure there weren't any guards listening. Quickly, the three thieves made their way out of the city, hastily walking down the cobblestone path and towards the stables.

**- Much later, The Ragged Flagon -**

"Hmm...Interesting..." Delvin mumbled, examining the stolen items Ailios, Zek and Talon had retrieved for him. They were all gathered around Delvin's usual table, eagerly awaiting the outcome of their job. Examining the final dagger, Delvin placed it back inside the sack and turned back to face the three thieves.

"You've done a good job, kids. Here's your reward" he congratulated, reaching for the coin compartment on his belt. When his hand reappeared he placed one hundred gold in front of each of them, grinning as they exchanged exhales of joy.

"You did well today, newbie" Ailios complimented, turning to face Zek.

"Really?" he asked, looking back and forth between her and Talon.

"Of course. You should stick around, we could really use you" Talon seconded, causing the young Bosmer to grin proudly.

"Well...thanks. I'd love to stay" he acknowledged, still pleased that he impressed his partners.

"Come with me. We tell can tell Brynjolf how well you did" Ailios suggested, causing Zek to quickly stand up and follow her back to the Cistern. Talon watched as Ailios disappeared back through the secret entrance, letting out a happy sigh as he slumped back in his chair.

"What are you so happy about?" Delvin asked, causing Talon to quickly sit upright. He'd forgotten that the old thief was still sitting there.

"Nothing. Nothing at all" Talon quickly replied before standing up and heading over to the bar. As he left, Delvin rolled his eyes.

"Kids these days" he thought as he turned away.

**A/N: More coming soon.**

**Ailios – created by iGaMzEeX.**

**Zek – created by xtaysamaxGirlLovex.**

**Laters**

**-7**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – The Sapphire Heist

Before...

"WAIT!"

Talon's heart stopped, expecting his life to be ceased at any moment. But as soon as that word hit his ears, he slowly opened his eyes. The pickaxe was just touching his nose. Looking past the steel pick, he glanced up at the second thief as she looked to her left.

"What?" she ordered puzzlingly, confused to why her comrade would say such a thing. As she spoke, the first thief made his way over to them, picking his dagger up off the ground as he did so.

"Let him go" he instructed, placing the blade back in its sheath. Through the gap in her cowl, he noticed the second thief's eyes widen.

"Let him go? Are you serious?!" she questioned heatedly, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Just trust me. Get off him" he directed once more, looking down at Talon with reassurance. Glancing down at her captive, the second thief let out an ireful sigh and stood up, allowing Talon to do the same. Once on his feet, Talon brushed himself down, looking back and forth between the thieves who had been stealing from his satchel mere moments ago. Too scared to say anything, Talon could only watch as the first thief approached him, looking him up and down probingly.

"How did you do that?" the first thief asked, crossing his arms as he studied the teenage Nord.

"D-do what?" Talon asked nervously, stammering as the first thief's eyes made contact with his own.

"You took my dagger and I didn't even notice. Where did you learn how to do that?" the first thief questioned invasively, his eyebrows narrowing beneath his cowl. Scared, Talon gulped before answering.

"Umm...I...I taught myself to do it. I swear" he responded, his breathing increasing rapidly. The two thieves exchanged poignant looks before looking back at Talon.

"So, you're a pickpocket?" the second thief questioned next, causing Talon to glance at her.

"Yeah. I-I guess so" he answered, mentally kicking himself for stammering again. A brief silence passed between the three of them, the sounds of birds flying overhead and the wind blowing attempting to break the silence.

"Well then, I guess we have a lot to talk about" the first thief finally answered, his previously hostile tone becoming more tranquil and upright. Reaching up for his hood, the first thief pulled it back revealing the face of a teenage Redguard. With his hood pulled back, his closely shaved head was exposed. Copying the first thief, the second thief was revealed to be a Bosmer of the same age. Her hair was a light shade of ochre, one side shaved whilst the rest was brushed to the right. Her left ear had two gold earrings near the top. On her face, she had light red war paint going across the bridge of her nose and two separate lines on either side of her head, each one reaching from her eyebrows to her cheeks. Judging by her eyebrows, Talon could not tell whether she was scowling at him or if it was just natural. This thought quickly exited his mind as the Redguard approached him.

"I'm Finn. And you are?" he introduced, holding out his hand expectantly. Warily, Talon took hold of his outstretched hand and shook it.

"Talon" he replied, letting Finn's hand go after a few seconds. He glanced over at the Wood Elf, cautiously doing his best to avoid eye contact as she crossed her arms.

"And that bundle of joy is Dana" Finn introduced for her, earning a threatening glance from the Bosmer. Talon gave her an awkward wave before turning back to the Redguard.

"Why are you letting me live?" he asked, praying to Talos that this was not a trap. For all he knew, they could stab him in the gut at any moment.

"Because I think you may be of some use to us" Finn answered, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Just because I pickpocketed your dagger?" Talon asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Exactly. We have a fort just outside Skyrim. I'll explain everything when we get there" Finn justified, handing Talon his satchel and gesturing for him to follow. As the two thieves headed off, Talon stayed put, causing them to stop a few feet away from him.

"Well? You coming?" the Bosmer asked irritably, still angered by the fact the Finn had allowed him to live. Glancing back in the direction he had come, Talon thought about his family. After the storm last night, he had been considering returning home that morning. Then he considered what he would be returning to. His father would be angrier than ever. His mother would be the same way. But what if he did not return home? What if he did go with these new acquaintances?

"Talon?" Finn called, confused by Talon's long pause. Hearing this, Talon turned to face them, letting out sigh before he answered.

"Yeah, I'm coming" he accepted, quickly catching up with them as they continued on their way. Little did he know that he would come to regret that decision. For he had no idea how badly it would affect him and the ones he loved.

Now...

The sound of occasional chatter filled the Ragged Flagon as numerous thieves went about their business. With the occasional remark from one of the tables. Cynric Endell, Vipir the Fleet, Tonilia and Talon sat around it, each holding a pair of cards. In case you had not figured it out, these four thieves were participating in a friendly game of poker. Each player had a stack of gold on their side of the table, ready to raise the bet if they chose to. So far, only six gold had been bet, placed in the center of the table. Glancing around the table, Talon put on his best poker-face and placed four more gold in the center.

"I'm going to call" he spoke, reaching back to his cards with his one good arm. Tonilia glanced down at her cards and reached for her gold.

"I raise" she declared, adding fifteen more coins to the pile starting to form in the center of the table.

"Me too" Vipir seconded, placing thirty-five gold in the center subsequently. Looking down at his cards once more, Cynric sighed, knowing that his hand did not stand a chance.

"I fold" he resigned, placing his cards face down in front of him. Hearing this, Talon's eyes darted to each opponent, doing his best not to grin as he placed down his cards and reached for his gold.

"I call" he repeated, placing thirty coins in the pile and reaching for his cards again. Eyeing Vipir him, Tonilia reached for her gold.

"I see your bet and I raise" she stated, placing sixty gold in the pile, causing both Talon's and Vipir's eyes to widen.

"I call" Vipir countered, placing twenty-five gold in the pile. Talon glanced around frantically, hoping to catch his opponents out. But they had surprisingly good poker-faces. He decided to take a risk. What other choice did he have?

"I'm all in" he announced, placing his final sixty-six coins in the pile.

"All in" Tonilia copied, placing her remaining twenty-five gold in the center whilst changing vacant glances with the teenage Nord.

"Me too" Vipir finished, placing his final forty gold with the others. Reaching for the stack of cards, Tonilia placed five cards from the top of the deck in a row. There was a Queen of Spades, a ten of Hearts, a three of Clubs, a six of Hearts and a nine of Spades. Instantly, Talon and Vipir groaned in defeat, Tonilia had a perfect hand with one pair.

"Pleasure playing with you, boys" she stated, collecting her winnings and placing them in her purse. As she headed away, Cynric stood up and headed back through the entrance to the Cistern. Vipir sighed, standing up and following him. As for Talon, he remained where he sat, leaning back in his chair aimlessly. It would take at least another week for his arm to heal. And it was boring him senseless. Sure, he had Ailios and the other Guild members to talk to and the odd jobs were enjoyable. But they all seemed too easy. He really wanted a challenge. Something more challenging.

Little did he know that he would soon get exactly what he wished for.

Hearing footsteps approaching, he turned his head to see Ailios approaching his table, accompanied by two new faces. The first one was a Dunmer with shoulder-length black hair, her red eyes examining Talon as she approached. Carried on her belt was a blade's sword, the steel shimmering in the faint light of the Ratways. On the opposite side of her belt, she had a large roll of paper. Trailing behind her was a Redguard with light brown hair reaching her waist, but braided behind her ears. On her face, she had a black tattoo which resembled tears rolling down her cheeks and past her mouth. On her belt, she carried dual daggers, both crafted from steel. Both strangers wore a set of Thieves Guild armor. As they sat down at his table, Ailios spoke.

"This is the guy I was telling you about" she began, causing Talon's trademark smirk to appear on his face. He appreciated it when Ailios recommended him to other thieves. Glancing down at his broken appendage, the Redguard raised an eyebrow and turned back to face Ailios.

"Are you sure he can help with his arm like that?" she asked, gesturing to Talon's sling.

"Trust me. He'll never turn down a challenge" Ailios insisted, giving him a reassuring smile. Talon could not help but smile back.

"And what exactly am I being challenged to?" he questioned, eager to hear about the scheme they were planning.

"Talon, this is Leijah," she introduced, motioning first to the Redguard, then the Dark Elf "and Karma. They need our help"

"Indeed. We have an arrangement which requires a pair of extra hands" Karma confirmed, a small smile forming on her lips. Hearing this, Talon raised an eyebrow curiously.

"What kind of arrangement are we talking about?" he asked, carefully leaning back on his chair.

"Straight to the point, huh? I respect that" Leijah commented, reaching into her pocket and placing an item in the center of the table. It was a type of corundum, glinting bright pink in the low light. Talon whistled with intrigue at the gem, easily noticed by Karma.

"Padparadscha, the rarest sapphire in all of Nirn. Worth at least four-thousand gold per carat" she informed, causing Talon's eyes to widen.

"Wow" he exclaimed, astonished by the value of that one gem.  
"Exactly. And if you help us, we could get even more of the stuff" Leijah continued, taking the gem and placing it back in her pocket. That was all it took to convince Talon. Placing the front legs of his chair back on the ground, he leaned in, wanting in on this plan.

"I'm all ears" he accepted, grinning slyly as the three of them leaned in as well.

"We got a tipoff that a Khajiit caravan would be coming through Whiterun Hold tomorrow with a fresh batch, all the way from Elsweyr. They're going to try and sell it off to the Jarl of Whiterun" Karma explained, her three allies clinging on to her every word.

"What's the plan?" Ailios asked eagerly.

"The last we heard, the Khajiit couriers are spending tonight in Falkreath. They'll most likely stick to the main road to avoid suspicion about the cargo. If we keep an eye on their route, we'll be able to take them by surprise" Leijah explained confidently, almost certain that their plan would succeed.

"How do you know their route?" Talon asked before Karma took the roll of paper out of her belt, unfurling it on the table. A line of ink travelled down the main roads, leading from the border of Skyrim to Whiterun.

"It wasn't easy getting this" she recalled, doing her best to put on a smile.

"We need to ambush them halfway between Falkreath and Whiterun. If not, the city guards will be on us faster than you can say jailbait" Leijah advised, tapping a portion of the route on the map.

"One more question; how are we going to ambush them?" Talon asked, causing a smile to appear on Karma's face.

"We had something in mind..." she began, instantly enticing Talon. 

**- The Next Morning, halfway between Falkreath and Whiterun-**

A herd of deer passed over the fields, freezing on the spot as an unfamiliar sound hit their ears. The sound of wooden wheels creaking under the weight of a caravan. As the noise got louder, the herd ran off, darting away as fast as they could. An old wooden caravan passed along the road near where they had previously been grazing, the handlers completely oblivious to their past presence. The handlers were two Khajiits, both wearing dirty garments, further concealing the fact that their cargo was incredibly valuable. One was a male with black hair, slowly starting to turn grey at his old age. His companion was the opposite. She had a fair coat of chestnut fur, incorporating a small tint of bronze. She was young, maybe in her twenties. She sat alongside the older male as he guided the horse down the cobblestone road, the sound of chirping birds giving the ride a peaceful ambience.

"How much farther?" she asked, her voice a higher tone than most Khajiit voices.

"Not long now, Ri Ziri. About another hour and we will arrive" the male replied in a deep, crackly voice, a side effect of his old age. Sighing, Ri Ziri turned back to the road, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hand. It was not all that bad though, she had always wanted to go to Skyrim. It was so different from Elsweyr. It felt nice to enjoy this foreign landscape. Just then, a strange sight appeared on the road. A young boy, somewhere in his teens, headed down the road towards them. As he noticed them, he started waving his one good hand, ushering for them to stop. Being kind, the older Khajiit could not help being concerned for this boy's wellbeing. Pulling on the reins, the horse slowed to a canter. Until finally stopping alongside the black-haired Nord.

"How may J' Zhen assist you, boy?" he asked, his feline mouth warping into a smile.

"I'm trying to get to Whiterun. Do you know which direction I need to go?" he asked in return, mirroring J' Zhen's kindhearted beam.

"We're heading that way now. Could we give him a ride, father?" Ri Ziri considered, looking to J' Zhen expectantly.

"Of course. Climb aboard" he seconded, sliding over to give the boy room at the front. If this was a normal visit, he would have let the boy sit in the back. But this cargo was of the upmost importance. He could not risk anybody finding out about it.

"Thank you so much" the boy acknowledged, struggling to pull himself up onto the front of the caravan with only one arm. With the boy seated, J' Zhen whipped the reins and the horse continued along the path, the sound of its hooves hitting the cobblestones filling the air again. Turning away from the road, J' Zhen studied his passenger, eying the unusual buckled armor he wore curiously. He swore he recognized it from somewhere before.

"What is your name?" J' Zhen asked, immediately capturing the boy's attention.

"Sorry, I'm Talon. You're...J' Zhen, right?" he guessed, recalling the name the elderly Khajiit had used when he pulled over.

"Indeed. And this is my daughter, Ri Ziri" he introduced, looking over to the female beside him.

"Are you new to Skyrim?" she asked, looking past her father at the teenage Nord. She had been hoping for some conversation to make the journey seem shorter.

"No, I'm just not that good with directions. I lost my map yesterday" Talon lied, doing his best to sound believable. And, as far as he knew, he was.

"We've just arrived from Elsweyr" J' Zhen added, taking his eyes off the road briefly.

"No kidding? What do you think of Skyrim?" Talon asked, seemingly interested in their travel from one side of Tamriel to the other.

"It's alright. We had to pass through Cyrodiil to arrive here. Nothing but rainforests and mountains as far as the eye could see" Ri Ziri recalled, remembering how drenched J' Zhen and her had been whilst crossing the border into Skyrim.

"Must have seen some amazing things though" Talon considered, glancing up the road ahead as his cue came closer and closer. From a distance, he could see the faint sign of movement from behind a large sarsen up ahead.

"I have to admit, when travelling up the mountains, the view was quite spectacular. Have you ever-" Ri Ziri began before Talon's call cut her off.

"NOW!"

All of a sudden, Ailios and Leijah jumped out from behind the sarsen, heading over to the caravan as it continued down the road. Copying her actions, Karma leapt out from behind a shrub on the opposite side of the road. Too surprised to react, J' Zhen was unable to stop Talon from grabbing the horse's reins and abruptly tugging them back. The horse reared back on its hind legs, letting out a frightened whinny as it dropped back down to all fours, letting out a brusque snort. The three thieves quickly surrounded the caravan, each wielding their weapons of choice. Karma brandished her blade's sword, Leijah held a dagger in each hand and Ailios flourished a simple iron dagger, just like Talon as he grabbed it from his belt. Surprised, both J' Zhen and Ri Ziri turned and glared at Talon, their eyes narrowing sternly.

"Did I forget to tell you? I'm a thief" he revealed, his grin appearing on his lips.

"Why...you...you'll pay for this!" J' Zhen threatened, his crackly voice almost highlighting his anger.

"Just step down from the caravan, gramps. And nobody will get hurt" Karma ushered, using her sword to gesture to the ground. Begrudgingly, both Khajiit stepped down and were lead to the side of the road near the back of the caravan.

"I'll keep an eye of them. Check the back" Talon instructed, nodding to Ailios. She and Leijah headed around to the back of the caravan, promptly pulling open the back doors and freezing in amazement at its contents. A large crate was placed in the back, filled to the brim with the bright pink gems, all glimmering in the light as it shone through the open doorway.

"It's official. We're set for life" Leijah confirmed, still transfixed by the sparkling pile of gems. Unwittingly letting his guard down, Talon turned to look in the direction of the open caravan door. Unobserved by him, Ri Ziri slowly reached down to her boot and took out the dagger concealed in the side. She looked to her father, hoping that he supported her willpower. Nodding with encouragement, J' Zhen watched as his daughter carried out her plan. Before he could react, Talon felt Ri Ziri kick him in the ribs, causing him to spin in the opposite direction and fall to his knees. As he tried to stand, Ri Ziri took her opportunity and drove her dagger into Talon's back and causing him to let out a rasping cry of pain. Hearing his cry, Ailios, Leijah and Karma each turned in his direction, their eyes widening in horror as Ri Ziri quickly retracted her dagger and pushed Talon to the ground, a profusely bleeding wound now revealed through the back of his armor.

"NO!" Ailios cried out, quickly running over to her friend's body, accompanied by Leijah as she attacked the Khajiit. Raising her leg, she kicked the dagger out of Ri Ziri's hand, brought back her fist and punched her straight in the face. Falling to the ground in pain, Ri Ziri looked up at the Redguard and hissed, her ears folding downwards in aggravation. As J' Zhen ran to his daughter's side, the thieves quickly placed Talon in the back of the caravan with the sapphires. Climbing in with him, Ailios closed the doors behind her and sat down beside Talon, cradling his head in her arms as he continued to bleed.

"GET US MOVING! NOW!" she called desperately to the front of the caravan, tears starting to form in her eyes as Talon's skin became paler. Leijah and Karma quickly climbed up onto the front of the caravan, looking back to make sure the Khajiit's were not trying to take back control. Karma hastily grabbed the reins and whipped them, causing the horse to whinny as it took off in a wild gallop, leaving the Khajiit's behind in the dust. As the caravan rocked, Ailios closed her eyes as she let the tears roll down her cheeks, silently praying for her friend's safety.

"_Please be okay, Talon. Please_"

**- Later, The Ragged Flagon Cistern –**

Ailios paced back and forth in front of her bunk, leaving Karma and Leijah no choice but to watch her as she passed back and forth, the box of sapphires placed on the ground beside them. Talon had been taken by Brynjolf and Sapphire to be patched up, moved to another bunk so they would not have to watch. Ailios' mind was racing, thinking of the state Talon could have been in at that very moment. What if he had not made it? Could she have saved him? She tried her best not to think about these questions, blocking them out of her head as Brynjolf approached her. Following her gaze, Karma and Leijah stood up from their chairs, preparing for the worst. They were feeling equally guilty. The heist had been their idea after all.

"Is he okay?" Karma asked, her heart sinking as she acknowledged Brynjolf's somber expression. Ailios covered her mouth in sorrow, praying to the gods that the worst had not happened. However, as a grin began to appear on Brynjolf's face, she took her hands away in confusion.

"Why don't you ask him yourself, lass?" he asked in response, stepping aside to reveal Talon heading over to them, looking as good as ever. Not only that, but his sling was gone, allowing his arm to swing freely at his side. Both surprised and relieved, Ailios ran at him and swung her arms around his neck, letting tears of happiness roll down her cheeks as he hugged back.

"Never scare me like that again" she beseeched happily, refusing to let him go for a second.

"I promise" he replied, unhooking his arms from around her and letting her go.

"What happened to your arm?" she asked, curious to how it looked good as new.

"I took a look at it whilst Sapphire fixed up his wound. He said it felt better" Brynjolf answered for him, proven by Talon as he moved it around, feeling no pain whatsoever.

"Forget about me. What about the sapphires?" he asked, looking past Brynjolf and Ailios at Karma and Leijah with concern.

"They're in great condition. Tonilia said she could help us sell them off for a good price. We were going to bring them to her after you were patched up" Leijah explained, gesturing to the crate beside her and Karma.

"I'll come with you. I feel like a game of poker. You coming?" Talon asked, turning to Ailios eagerly. Before she could answer, Brynjolf cut in.

"I need to speak to you first, Ally" he insisted, giving her a serious look.

"I'll meet you there in a second" Ailios replied, stepping aside and allowing Talon to join Karma and Leijah as they headed for the exit to the Ragged Flagon. As soon as they disappeared from sight, Ailios turned to face Brynjolf.

"So, what did you need to talk about?" she asked, her smile vanishing as she saw Brynjolf's concerned appearance.

"What's wrong?" she asked again, her worry increasing as Brynjolf ran a hand down his face and let out a sigh.

"There's something you should know about Talon" he began, instantly concerning Ailios as her eyes widened.

"Is there something wrong with him?" she asked worriedly.

"Nothing at all. That's the problem" Brynjolf attempted to explain, causing Ailios expression to turn from one of worry to one of confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked, crossing her arms at the appointed Guild Master. Checking to make sure nobody was listening in, Brynjolf began to whisper.

"When Sapphire and I were fixing his wound, we found that it had pierced him right through his spine. That should have killed him instantly" he explained, causing Ailios' mouth to partially drop open.

"But...he's okay. He's alive" she spoke, causing Brynjolf's tone to lower.

"Exactly. Not only that, but his arm needed at least a week to fully heal. And it was fixed in seconds when you brought him to us" he continued, puzzling Ailios even further as she looked in the direction Talon had walked.

"But...that's impossible. What are we going to do?" she asked, looking up at Brynjolf hopefully, expecting him to have thought of a solution to the matter at hand.

"I don't know, Ally. But if I were you, I'd be careful. That boy's keeping something from us. And I don't like it" he warned gravely before going silent. The sounds of hushed conversation and water droplets falling from above filling the air between them.

**A/N: More coming soon.**

**Dana – created by me.**

**Finn – created by me.**

**Ailios – created by iGaMzEeX.**

**Karma – created by DoTheLimbo.**

**Leijah – created by Schmoosh.**

**Laters**

**-7**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – Talon vs. the Dark Brotherhood II

Before...

"Keep up, guys. We're almost there" Dana called back as she led them of them along the path up the mountain. To their left, the sun was beginning to disappear behind the mountain peaks in the distance, turning the sky a shade of yellow. Talon groaned as he continued the uphill trek, his feet beginning to agonizingly cramp in his boots. Since Finn and Dana had asked him to accompany them on their walk home, they had crossed the border into Hammerfell and had started making their way up into the Dragontail Mountains, highlands which acted as a rim for the province. Strangely, the higher they got up the mountains, the rougher the path became, becoming nothing more than a small trace of dirt as the ground behind them got further and further away. Talon was still bewildered to why anyone would want to live up here.

"Doesn't living this high up seem a little dangerous?" he asked, turning back around to face his latest associates.

"That's the point. Who'd be dumb enough to come searching for us up here?" Finn asked in response, causing Talon to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"I still don't know who US is" he reminded with emphasis. His endless string of questions angered Dana, causing her to turn back and glare at him.

"I just said we're almost there. Now shut it" she ordered through clenched teeth. Returning her scowl, Talon sullenly kept his mouth shut for the rest of the walk. Continuing up the mountain a few more minutes, the three of them reached the tip of a small peak, stopping near the top to get a good view of what was below.  
"Wow" Talon whispered, transfixed by the sight below him. From where they stood, they could see a large crater hidden behind the mountains. Sitting in it, was a large fort, twice as big as any Talon had ever seen. Any bigger and it could have been considered a palace.

"Yeah, wow" Finn seconded, smirking at Talon's amazed countenance. Rolling her eyes, she began making her way down the hill towards the fort, forcing Finn and Talon to catch up with her. Doing his best not to stumble on the gravelly incline, Talon was able to join Finn and Dana at the bottom as they started making their way towards the fort. Heading towards the wooden entrance, Talon became wary as an Orc guarding the door stared at him enquiringly. Like Finn and Dana, she wore the same set of unique armor, even sporting the same red circle.

"Sorry we're late. We got a little sidetracked" Finn apologized, stopping in front of the Orc.

"So I see" she replied in a deep, yet feminine tone, studying the guest her allies had brought back with them.

"We brought him here to see Elias. Do you know if he's around?" Dana asked, crossing her arms as the Orc continued to survey the teenage Nord. Sighing, she turned around and opened the wooden door, allowing the three of them access.

"He's in his study" she answered, the cold night air blowing her black haired ponytail behind her. Nodding, Dana entered the fort, Finn and Talon following suit.

"Stick close to us. We don't anybody thinking you're an intruder" Finn warned as they entered the first room, Finn warned as they entered the first room. It looked like a large living room, a fire pit placed in the center with numerous chairs surrounding it. Scattered around the room were a few small tables and chairs with a fair amount of people sitting on them, all exchanging a decent amount of chatter. A few flags were hung on the walls, all made out of the same white fabric and displaying the same insignia: a circle painted in blood-red. As they made their way across the room to the stairs, Talon could sense several pairs of eyes watching him, all thinking the same thing. What's this guy doing here? Shaking it off, he followed his guides up the stairs to a much louder floor. As he entered, he was greeted by the familiar sound of drunken rambling. The second floor had been made into a makeshift tavern. A wooden bar had been built into one of the walls with stools lining the sides, each seating a random patron. Like on the first floor, tables and chairs had been scattered around the room as seating for other clientele. Since they were having fun and due to the fact that most of them were pissed, the numerous patrons were unable to notice Talon as Dana and Finn escorted him across the room. Heading up the final flight of stairs, the three of them arrived in a corridor with several doors on either side. Making their way down, they reached the end of the corridor, coming face to face with the last door. Dana raised her fist and knocked against the wood, awaiting a reply.

"Come in" a male voice answered, allowing Dana to grab the handle and push the door open. As the entered, Talon analyzed the vast study. A Sabre Cat skin rug rested in the center, lit up by the fireplace on the left side of the room. Lining the walls were multiple weapons and stuffed creatures displayed on wooden plaques, trophies belonging to whoever ran this establishment. Reaching the opposite side of the room, they stopped at a desk, looking past it at the man sitting on the other side. He was a Nord with dirty, blonde hair and a matching beard clinging to his chin. He had dark blue war paint on the left side of his face, made to look like a scar. As you could guess, he wore the same set of distinctive armor as everybody else in that fort. However, instead of the recurring black leather structure, the fabric of his armor had been dyed white and the same red circle as on the flags had been painted on his chest.

"Dana, Finnegan, I was wondering when you would return" he greeted with a smile. Finn's cheeks turned red at the mention of his full name, causing Talon to smirk. But his smirk soon disappeared as he locked eyes with the man sitting at the desk. He faintly creased his eyebrows, turning from the unfamiliar teenager to his leather clad associates.

"Who is this?" he asked, gesturing to Talon with one hand.

"His name's Talon. We found him in the middle of nowhere on our way back" Finn explained, concerning the man as he once again studied Talon's form. His messy, black hair. His filthy clothes. His rust-colored satchel. Raising an eyebrow, he turned back to Finn with trepidation.  
"And why did you bring him here?" he asked, crossing his arms as his voice took on a more hostile tone.

"He...he came after us when we tried to take his stuff. And when he caught me, he took my dagger without me noticing" Finn vouched nervously, looking over to the teenage Nord for support. The man followed his gaze, once again looking at Talon.

"Is this true?" he questioned, causing Talon to gulp anxiously.

"Uh...yes, sir. I-I did" he answered, resulting in a small silence between them. Standing up, the man walked around to the front of the desk, his stature allowing him to tower over Talon. He kneeled down slightly, coming to eye level with the teenage Nord.

"Have you pickpocketed before, boy?" the man asked, his tone of voice becoming a combination of curiosity and intimidation.

"Yes, sir" Talon nodded. He was so nervous he did not even look away, fearing the consequences.

"Who taught you?" the man asked again, rubbing his bearded chin thoughtfully.

"I-I taught myself. I started about a year ago" Talon responded, his heartbeat increasing as the man let out a thoughtful exhale.

"I thought he could probably join us. With your approval of course" Finn suggested, causing both the man and Talon to look in his direction.

"You really think he can join our faction just because he pocketed your dagger?" the man questioned judgmentally, his eyebrows furrowing once more at the Redguard.

"I'm not overreacting. C'mon, Dana. Help me out" Finn pleaded, causing the stubborn Bosmer's eyes to widen in surprise. Opening her mouth, she glanced at Talon for a second, taking in his look of aid. She sighed.

"He DID put up a good fight. At first" she mumbled narcissistically, looking down at the ground. The man was surprised at this; Dana hardly ever stood up for someone. Especially if Finn asked her. It was right there and then that he realized something; whoever this newcomer was, he was different.

"I guess these two have already taken a shine to you. You can stay for now. We'll see how you progress" the man stated, uncrossing his arms and holding his hand out to Talon. Shrugging, Talon took hold of the man's hand and shook it.

"No offence, Mr..." he trailed off, realizing he did not know this stranger's name.

"Elias. Elias Grahn" the man introduced, ceasing the shake and releasing his grip on Talon's hand.

"No offence, Elias. But I still have no idea who you are, what this place is or what it is that you do exactly" he prompted, earning a look of understanding from the supposed leader of this unknown faction.

"Sorry. Allow me to explain" he began stepping over to the fireplace and warming up his hands.

"We have many names: murderers, thieves, thieving murderers, murderous thieves, I could go on. But for those who are more familiar with our group, we go by the name of the Blood Ring" Elias explained. Confused, Talon raised an eyebrow.

"How come I've never heard of you?" he asked, getting a chuckle from the bearded Nord.

"We're very covert. Not many people are familiar with our methods. We can be paid to do the work none of the other factions can. If a client wants somebody dead or a certain item stolen, we'll pull it off. As long as they pay us afterwards" Elias continued, turning back to face Talon.

"So...you're like a combination of the Dark Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild?" he presumed as Elias rejoined the three teenagers at his desk.

"You could say that. However, neither of them are associated with us. Nor do they like us that much" Elias revealed, concerning Talon.

"How come?" he asked.

"Let's just say that our clients sometimes wish for one of their associates to be...dealt with from time to time" Finn answered for him, causing Talon's eyes to widen.

"You kill Dark Brotherhood assassins AND members of the Thieves Guild? Isn't that a little...suicidal?" he queried, surprised by their unlikely choice of targets.

"As long as the pay is good, we can kill whoever we please. That's the beauty of our union. We kill AND we steal. Two jobs for the price of one" Elias explained further, grinning jubilantly at the teenager Nord.

"I guess you have a point. But...I've never killed before" Talon divulged, receiving a sympathetic look from Elias.

"Most of the people you saw on the way up here were just like you. They were petty thieves, pickpockets, some were even former enemies. But with our help, they have become so much more than that. They're now part of the most notorious and secretive faction in Tamriel" he solaced. Talon could not help but notice his choice of words.  
"Tamriel? You mean there are more of you outside Skyrim?" he questioned.  
"Not just outside Skyrim" Elias corrected, heading back over to his desk. Grabbing a rolled up peace of parchment, he unfurled it to reveal a map of the province. Scattered across it were multiple red crosses, each one marking a random location.

"We have eleven different forts dispersed across the region, including ours. There are others situated in High Rock, Morrowind, Hammerfell and so on" he explained, tapping the map with his index finger.

"Wow, you guys are everywhere. How long have you been active?" Talon asked curiously, studying the map on the desk in front of him.

"Heh, in my opinion, far too long. The Blood Ring faction has dated back to end of the Oblivion Crisis. It..." he paused, his eyes darting to Finn and Dana.

"Could you please wait outside?" he asked, slightly narrowing his eyebrows. Getting the point, both the Redguard and the Bosmer left the room. As the door closed behind them, Elias started talking again, capturing Talon's attention.

"It was founded by one of my ancestors, an Imperial Tribune by the name of Annelise Grahn. She had endured the war as long any other. She had seen her family, her friends and her whole battalion get trampled by the might of Mehrunes Dagon and his forces" he explained gravely, drawing Talon in as he headed back over to the fireplace. Hung above the mantle was another flag, flaunting the same red circle as the others.

"What happened when the crisis ended?" Talon asked, joining Elias by the fire at a slow pace, his footsteps barely making a sound.

"The poor girl left the Legion. Can't say I blame her. But about a week later, she had a dream. She was face to face with the Daedric prince, Molag Bal. He told her that her struggle had been futile and that she should have known her family and friends would perish" he continued, confusing Talon as he approached Elias, standing by his side.

"I don't understand" he declared, uneasily watching as Elias extended his hand towards the flag above the mantle, his index finger tracing over the circle as he spoke.

"Death doesn't travel in a straight line, Talon. It circulates. You can see it in battle, but it soon spreads to everybody you care about. Until it finally works its way back to you again" he finished, finishing his trace of the circle and retracting his hand.

"That's what the symbol stands for, doesn't it?" Talon comprehended, captivated by the flag as it gently swayed above the fire. Elias nodded.

"The circle of death. A blood ring. After her dream, Annelise and a few fellow legionnaires took off to form their own faction. A faction who would worship Molag Bal and kill in his name so others will learn the same lesson" he continued. Turning to face Talon, he was surprised to see a look of dismay appear on his face.

"Worship him? Are you insane? He's evil. And why do others need to learn the lesson?" Talon queried, narrowing his eyebrows at the towering Nord.

"I'm well aware of Molag Bal's reputation, Talon. I know he's the Daedric lord of domination, corruption, slavery and everything else sinful. Does that remind you of anything familiar?" Elias asked in response, returning Talon's scowl. Confused, Talon gradually shook his head.

"That is the state of Tamriel at the moment. Skyrim is in the middle of a civil war, crime and deceit is rampant at every turn and there's no sign of it getting any better. That is why others need to learn the lesson, so they can see the world through our eyes before we put them out of their misery" Elias continued, stupefying Talon as he took it all in. Elias was right. Tamriel was a dystopia waiting to happen. It was only a matter of time before they all descended into anarchy. Looking to his right, Talon gazed into the flickering fire, letting out a dejected sigh.

"But...if he's just like Tamriel at the moment, why would you worship him?" he asked, keeping his gaze fixed on the burning embers.

"Because of his influence. We believe that he could change Tamriel with his own powers of domination. Like fighting fire with fire" Elias continued, placing a hand on Talon and impelling him to face him again.

"So, by using domination and corruption, he could put an end all the domination and corruption?" he asked, hoping that he was catching on.

"Exactly. If we fight in his honor, we can make that dream a reality. And you could be a part of it" Elias offered, putting on an optimistic grin.

"I'm still not sure" Talon revealed, rubbing his arm anxiously. Exhaling, Elias gave Talon a look of reassurance.

"You could help make Tamriel a better place. Not just for us, but for future generations also" he encouraged, removing his hand from the teenager's shoulder. Talon turned away from Elias, crossing his arms as he fell into a deep state of contemplation. He thought back to the night before, back to the last argument he had with his father and what he had said.

"_I got away with enough food to last us a week. You two should be thanking me right now"_

"_...no matter how much I try to help this family, you'll always find some kind of downside..."_

"_Honestly, the one time I do something nice for both of you and you spit in my face. Can't you calm the fuck down for once in your life?!"_

Talon narrowed his eyebrows; this was his chance to prove himself to his father. He did not care about the downside, he just wanted to help people and get appreciated for it. Unlike at home. Abandoning his riled expression, he turned back to face Elias, holding out his hand promptly.

"I want to help" he accepted, causing a contented to appear on Elias' face as he shook Talon's hand.

"Hold your horses, son. Before you can become a full member, you need the proper training" he advised, releasing Talon's hand and heading over to the study door.

"But I already know how to pickpocket. Isn't that enough?" he asked, a laugh emitting from Elias throat as he reached the door.

"Trust me, you have much to learn about our methods. And I think I know the perfect mentor" he contemplated, pulling open the door and promptly stepping backwards. Unexpectedly, both Finn and Dana fell through the open doorway and landed in a heap. Talon's eyes widened at the eavesdroppers as they naively glanced up at Elias.

"Forget something?" he questioned, strictly crossing his arms and frowning as they picked themselves up.

"Um...we were just..." Finn stammered, brushing himself down as he searched his brain for an excuse. Dana rolled her eyes at his gullibility, as she glanced across the room at Talon.

"Save it, Finn. He knows we heard everything. So, who's this mentor you had in mind?" she asked, turning back to Elias interestedly. She was curious to find out which unfortunate soul had the displeasure of teaching this amateur their ways of larceny and assassination. Hearing this, a big grin appeared on Elias' face, confusing the Bosmer juvenile.

"I'm looking at her" he answered. Dana's eyes widened, she looked back and forth between Talon and her superior.

"What? You want ME to train HIM?" she questioned frantically, gesturing to Talon as he watched from in front of the fireplace.

"Certainly. You're tuition in combat and pilfering should prepare him for just about anything" Elias guaranteed, still grinning at Dana's reaction to his proposition.

"But...but...he's been getting along way better with Finn" she defended, hoping that she could excuse herself from the task at hand. But to no avail.

"Then I'm sure this experience will help you two get well acquainted" Elias countered, starting to his lose his grin as Dana continued to deny his order.

"But-" she began, instantly cut off by Elias.

"That's enough! I'm your elder and you will do as I say. Understand?" he ordered, scowling at her as she begrudgingly lowered her head.

"Yes, sir" she accepted, glaring at Talon as he joined the three of them.

"That's better. Finn, show Talon to the boys' quarters. And Dana, get some rest. You'll need it for training tomorrow" Elias instructed, turning to face the Redguard then the Bosmer.

"Yes, sir" Finn acknowledged, looking to Talon with a grin. Talon returned the look with a small smirk.

"Good. You may go now" Elias bid, gesturing to the door with a wave of his hand. The three of them exited the office, closing the door behind them with a small slam. Finn lead them down back the way they had come until they finally reached a pair of stairways at the other end of the corridor.

"The boys' quarters are to the right. Girls' are to the left" he instructed. As Finn began to lead Talon towards the steps, Dana's voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Finn, you go on ahead. I want to talk to Talon quickly" she requested, putting on an innocent voice.

"Um...sure. I'll see you up there" he said as he began heading up the steps. However, the second the sound of his footsteps faded, Talon gasped as Dana grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him against the wall.

"What the f-" he tried to retort before Dana clamped her hand over his mouth.

"Shut your trap and listen. I don't want you here. I NEVER wanted you here. And the only reason you're alive right now is because Finn insisted on coming along on my hike" she explained darkly, scowling at her latest associate as his heart raced.

"However, Elias likes you, so I have to teach you what I know. But my word is the law. And if you ever disobey me, I'll drag you back to where Finn and I found you and finish the job" she threatened, causing Talon to fearfully glance down at her pickaxe.

"Understand?" she enquired, leaning in until her face was inches away from Talon's. Slowly, Talon nodded his head, allowing Dana to remove her hand from his mouth and release him from her grip.

"See you in the morning" she muttered as she made her way up the opposite flight of stairs, disappearing into the darkness and leaving Talon alone. Taking in deep breaths, Talon turned away and started making his way up the steps Finn had used earlier.

Now...

"Aerin, Shaylan, I suppose you're wondering why I asked you here" Astrid presumed, crossing her arms and studying her comrades. Shaylan was a pale-skinned Breton, her mid-long black hair hanging down over her golden eyes. Attached to the belt of her Dark Brotherhood armor, she had dual ebony daggers. Aerin was a Dunmer. Unlike her colleague, her black hair was neatly brushed back behind her pointed ears. On the belt of her brotherhood armor, a silver sword was attached.

"Well you literally shouted for us. What's pissed you off?" Shaylan asked, mirroring Astrid's pose and crossing her own arms. With a vexed expression, Astrid placed her hand on a small note on the table between them. She slowly pushed it across the wooden surface until it was right in front of them. Curiously, Aerin picked it up and read the inscription on the back.

_Dear Astrid_

_As you may recall, we requested your expertise not too long ago with our target, Talon Nightshade. However, we have recently discovered that two more of our sanctuaries have been abolished. And our spies have reported seeing a boy of Nightshade's depiction leaving the areas._

_I don't know what you are playing at, but we paid you double on the grounds that he would be dealt with as soon as possible. We are giving you a chance to redeem yourselves, but if you fail to meet our demands, you will have made a very, powerful enemy. _

At the bottom where a signature would usually be written, a dark, red circle had been scrawled. The emblem of the Blood Ring.

"I heard Nazir talking about that contract. I thought you sent Kai and Ashira to carry it out" the Dunmer recalled, placing the note back on the table.

"I did. And they're certain that he was dead" Astrid replied, tetchily placing both hands on the table. Confused, Aerin and Shaylan exchanged anxious glances.

"Then how come he's still alive?" Shaylan pondered, looking back at Astrid uneasily.

"I don't know. But you two are coming with me to find out. And this time, I'll make sure he stays dead" she stated, returning to her upright position.

"What do you mean?" Aerin questioned, concerned by Astrid's sudden change of tone. Reaching for her belt, Astrid retrieved her trademark weapon. The Blade of woe. Slowly, she brought the dagger up to eye level and studied her reflection in the dark blade.

"I'm bringing back his head" she answered, reaching up and brushing a stray wisp of blonde hair behind her ear.

**- The next day, Riften Stables -**

"Are you sure you have to go?" Ailios questioned as Talon checked through his satchel, making sure he had not left anything in the Cistern. Due to his miraculous recovery, he had told Brynjolf that he needed to head off. As Brynjolf had expected, he did not say anything about where he was headed. It would not have mattered if Talon had not survived the supposedly fatal injury he had endured a couple of days ago.

"Trust me. I have some long overdue jobs to take care of" he replied, looking from his satchel to his belt to make sure he still had his dagger. Brynjolf had allowed him to keep the armor he had borrowed.

"What kind of jobs?" Ailios asked, curiously crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. Talon grinned at her prying.

"Nothing special. You wouldn't care" he answered slyly, secretly trying to ignore the subject of his intentions. Ailios' smile disappeared, replaced with a look of concern. She had been wary of Talon since Brynjolf had informed her of his unnatural revival. Talon could not help but notice her expression.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Ailios appreciated that he cared about her wellbeing. Rubbing her upper arm, she looked to the ground.

"Nothing. It's just...you're my friend. Right, Talon?" she asked, surprising Talon as he took in her question.

"Sure. Of course" he answered, sounding surprisingly confident.

"And do you think of me and the rest of the Guild as family?" Ailios continued her chain of questions, hoping to catch him out.

"I guess so. Why?" Talon asked in response, scratching the back of his head.

"Because, if you really think of us as a family, you should know that we trust each other. And we don't keep secrets" Ailios explained, causing one of Talon's eyebrow to rise.

"What are you trying to say, Ally?" he asked, using her nickname.

"I'm saying that I'd trust you with my secrets. But if you ever had a secret, would you trust me?" she asked, eventually reaching the end of her chain. A short silence passed between the two of them, overlapped by the sound of the wind blowing.

"I would" Talon lied, a small pain in his chest as the feeling of guilt entered his system. The horrible side effect of a lie. Ailios held back her sadness as she took in Talon's answer. Even after all they had been through, she could not believe that he would lie to her.

"Okay. You better get going" she spoke, putting on a smile as she nodded down the road out of Riften. Following her gaze, Talon grinned and turned back to face her.

"I'll come back and visit when I can" he notified, extending his arms outwards expectantly and giving her a cunning look. Rolling her eyes with a grin, Ailios gladly pulled her friend into a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck contentedly. The hug lasted a few seconds before they parted, both smiling at each other.

"Try and stay out of trouble" she warned, trying to sound both jestingly and earnest.

"No promises" he finished, giving her a final wave goodbye as he headed down the road, brushing his hair out of his eyes as the wind made contact with his face. As he headed away, Ailios' grin left her face, replaced with a look of hurt. It was obvious that Talon was hiding something, but what could be so bad that he would lie right to her face? As she watched him disappear into the distance, she knew there was only one thing do. It was not honorable, but she had no other choice.

**- Later -**

The sky had started to turn orange as the sun set in the distance, making it harder for Talon to locate shelter. The wind blew against him, almost forcing him back as he continued through the forest, trees lining each side of the path, their wine colored leaves gently falling down and getting trampled by Talon's boots. Reaching into his satchel, he pulled out his map and ran his finger down the route he was taking. Not too far from where he was, another red cross had been placed.

"_Almost there. That'll be four cleared out_" he thought as he rolled his map back up and placed it back in his satchel. He checked his dagger, making sure it was not too blunt. Narcissistically admiring his reflection in the blade, he returned it to its sheath and returned his attention to the road.

"Hey there" a seemingly friendly voice asked from out of nowhere. Talon froze, looking up in the direction it had come from. From one of the trees, a large branch stretched out over the road, barely reaching the other side. Sitting on the branch was a woman, her body cloaked in a familiar armor, her face shrouded by a dark cowl. Talon's eyes widened as he recognized the armor she wore, gulping as he tried to put on a brave face. How could he have been so clueless? He remembered the journal entry he had read in a previously destroyed Blood Ring fort about how they had sent the first two Dark Brotherhood assassins to deal with him. Since he "survived" the encounter, he had cleared out another of their forts. The Blood Ring must have found out and sent them after him again for good measure.

"Hi" he replied casually, keeping eye contact with the assassin as she rested on the branch, her right leg dangled over the side heedlessly.

"Aren't you a little young to be out here by yourself?" she questioned, an eyebrow visibly rising through the gap in her cowl.

"I can handle myself. It was nice talking to you, but I better scurry off now" Talon replied, hoping to move past this happenstance. But before he could even move, the assassin dropped down from the tree, landing just in front of him.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Talon. But you're not going anywhere" she rebuffed, narrowing her eyes and taking long strides towards him. Talon edged away and looked back the way he came, only to see two more assassins emerge from the foliage. A Breton wielding two ebony daggers and a Dunmer brandishing a steel sword. The three assassins circled the boy, keeping him from running anywhere. Nervously, Talon's head looked in every direction, studying the faces of his adversaries before finally looking back at Astrid.

"I've taken two of you on before. I can handle a few more of you" he upheld, narrowing his eyebrows at her. Astrid let out an amused chuckle, slightly confusing the teenage Nord.

"They were just rookies. Do you really think you have the skills to beat the leader?" she questioned, pulling back her cowl to reveal her face. Seeing this, Talon's raised his eyebrows in both surprise and fear.  
"You've already evaded us once. I thought I'd come along to ensure that you won't be any more trouble to us" she explained, flashing a grin at her target as her comrades covered his escape. Taking her chance, she grabbed the Blade of woe from her belt and ran forward, attempting to stab Talon in the forehead. However, Talon had anticipated her move and dodged to the left, grabbing her arm the blade was in and elbowing her in the face. As she stumbled back, Talon turned around and ducked, just in time to dodge a swing from Aerin as she attempted to attack him. As Aerin raised her sword again, Talon grabbed his dagger from his belt and parried the blow, the sound of colliding metal ringing in his ears as he stumbled back. Looking left and right, Talon saw that both Aerin and Shaylan were attempting to attack him at once. Seeing an opening, Talon dove between the two of them and attempted to make a hasty escape. He started sprinting down the path, too scared to look back as the assassins took in what had just happened. Narrowing her eyes, Shaylan placed a dagger back in its sheath and raised her free hand, grinning as a flurry of crackling sparks appeared in her palm.

"He won't get far" she reassured her comrades as she launched a torrent of sparks in Talon's direction, hitting the stump of a large tree at the side of the road. The flash blinded Talon, causing him to stop in his tracks as his eyes readjusted to the darkness of the forest. Suddenly, the sound of splintering wood filled his ears, causing him to turn and gasp as the ignited tree began to fall. He leapt back just in time for it to crash down onto the road where he had previously been standing. Shielding his face from the flickering embers, he sighed, thinking that the worst was over. He was wrong. He gasped as he felt a gloved hand grasp his shoulder and spin him around. His eyes widened as he came face to face with Astrid, her eyebrows furrowed with rage, her teeth bared and clenched and blood dripping from her freshly bruised nose.

"Umm...it is too late to say sorry?" he asked hopefully, thinking that a bit of humor would remedy the situation. But it was wasted on Astrid as she brought back her fist and hit him straight in the face. Talon stumbled back, almost using the blazing tree for support. Aerin and Shaylan began to head over, hoping to help their leader. But Astrid simply raised a hand to them, ordering them to stop,

"This little bastard's mine" she declared, her tone deep and unrelenting. As Talon attempted to push himself up, she grabbed him by the collar of his armor and forced him to face her so she could deliver a second blow. The tree was now fully ablaze, illuminating the surrounding areas as Astrid continued her brutal onslaught. She did not even blink. Every time Talon's head reared in the direction she had punched him, she simply made him face her again and delivered another. After the sixth punch, she grabbed him by the collar once more, holding his head in the light of the fire to observe the damage she had done. She grinned darkly at his black eye, his hideously bruised face, his swollen bottom lip and his broken, bleeding nose. But the pièce de résistance was when Talon jerked his head to the side and coughed up a fair amount of blood. It ran down his lips and under his chin until finally dripping down to the path. Talon was barely able to lift his head up and look at her, his body weakened by her ruthless assault. He attempted to speak, but all that emerged from his bloody lips was a mere whisper. Only just a sound. Seeing his condition, Astrid reached to her belt and once again retrieved her blade, holding it up to his neck and watching as a single tear filled his dreary eyes.

"Sweet dreams" she bid cruelly, a signal for her comrades to avert their eyes. A sickening slice filled the air, mixed in with the sound of bone separating as she brought her blade through his neck. Talon's body slumped to its knees before lifelessly flopping to the side, his neck nothing more than a bloody stump. In her hands, Astrid held his head, using his hair as a handle and sighing at the sight of his blank expression. She turned and headed back to her allies, her prize swinging to-and-fro in her grasp.

"You two ready to go?" Astrid asked, earning a slight look of disgust from Shaylan at the sight of the decapitated head.

"What do we do with the rest of him?" Aerin asked, gesturing to the rotting corpse resting by the still blazing tree. Astrid followed her gaze and shrugged.

"We'll leave him for the wolves. Probably the best meal they'll have for a while" Astrid explained, turning back to her allies. She paused, they were both suddenly transfixed by the head in her hand.

"What are you..." she trailed off as soon as she saw what they were looking at. From the neck up, Talon's head was suddenly being engulfed by black smoke. And as soon as it travelled up the strand of hair Astrid was holding it by, it simply disappeared, leaving no sign of Talon's head.

"But...how could he..." she began before Shaylan cut her off.

"Look!" she directed, pointing back over to the burning tree. Astrid could see it too. Slowly, something was happening to Talon's corpse. It started with the spine, slowly growing outward and branching outwards. Bone began to regenerate and form a near spherical shape at the end. The veins and nerves came next, stretching up after the bone as it neared completion. But before the skull could complete itself, Astrid caught a glimpse of plain grey substance growing between the cracks. A brand new brain for a brand new skull. The veins and muscle had reached where his ears would have been, stretching over his jawline and creating the bottom layer of the lips. Two small, white balls began to grown in the empty eye sockets, forming into perfect spheres with red veins and green pupils. But as soon as the flesh began to grow, the body suddenly burst into life, rearing its head back and letting out a gruesome scream, its vocal cords not fully complete. The three assassins could only watch as the scene continued. Aerin was so repulsed, she had to turn away and vomit. With the burning tree behind the restoring corpse, it looked like a scene out of a nightmare. As the vocal cords completed their revival, the corpse's scream dropped to a deeper, more masculine tone. Fitting for that of a teenage boy. As the flesh reached the corpse's mouth, it rolled over, pushing itself up onto its knees. Eyelids formed and instantly clamped down over the restored green eyes as the reconstruction neared completion. Letting out a few more grunts of pain, patches of black hair began to grow on the skull and above the eyes, forming new hair and eyebrows. Until finally, Talon's head had been completely restored, deep breaths filling the air and replacing the previous cries of agony. Regaining his footing, Talon turned to face the assassins, their faces frozen in looks of pure horror. Finally realizing what they had just seen, Talon took off into a sprint, quickly disappearing into the forest.

"Should we go after him?" Shaylan asked, turning to her leader expectantly.

"No. This is way over our heads" Astrid replied, turning back to the tree as the flames began to go down, leaving nothing but a smoldering pile of ash.

**- Later, Dead Man's Drink, Falkreath -**

The door of the near deserted tavern opened, allowing Astrid entry before slamming shut behind her. Looking around the large room, she studied each patron, slightly grimacing at the drunken rambling and putrid smells filling the air. Until finally, her eyes rested on a certain individual, sitting alone at a table on the other side of the large fire. Pushing past the digressive drunks, she joined the individual at the table, her entire form covered by a black robe and cowl to hide her face from prying eyes. The back of her robe displayed a familiar symbol. A red circle. The symbol of a Blood Ring representative. Both of her hands were placed on the table, one hand wrapped around the handle of a tankard, the other simply resting and tapping its fingers impatiently. However, as soon as Astrid sat down, the tapping ceased, leaving a brief silence between them.

"You better have a good reason for dragging me to this forsaken inn" the contact greeted petulantly, the tone of her voice being that of a female's. As she spoke, she turned her head, her exposed eyes narrowed in irritation. Returning the look, Astrid held her hand out and placed a small purse on the table, the sound of metal jangling around inside filling the air.

"What is this?" the contact asked, looking up from the purse and raising a concealed eyebrow.

"The amount you paid us to kill Talon Nightshade" Astrid answered sternly, watching as the contact's eyes narrowed again.

"You still haven't dealt with him yet?" she questioned angrily, earning a look of anger from the leader of the Dark Brotherhood.

"Well, next time you wish for our services, make sure you choose a target that can actually die" Astrid retorted, surprised to see the contact's eyes widen in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, suddenly intrigued by Astrid's choice of words.

"I killed the little pest like you asked. I even cut his head off for good measure. Only for it to grow back a minute later" she explained, losing her look of anger as the contact went silent, turning away and staring into space as she took it all in. She buried her face in her hands, shaking her head in grief.

"So it's true" she admitted to herself, confusing Astrid a great deal.  
"Wait, you knew that he could come back to life?" she interrogated, her angry tone returning as her eyebrows furrowed. The contact retracted her hands from her face and glared at Astrid, causing her to slightly move her head back in surprise.

"We didn't know for definite. We were hoping it was just a rumor. Now we will have to make other plans" the contact informed, turning back to the table and resting her chin on her hand.

"How can he do it though? What did you do to him?" Astrid asked curiously, remembering what they had written in their first letter.

"That's none of your concern. Leave. Your services are no longer required" the contact replied, not even turning to face Astrid as she gestured for her to depart.

"But-"

"NOW!" she reinforced, cutting Astrid off as she attempted to renegotiate. With a look of dissatisfaction, Astrid left, slamming the door behind her in the same fashion as she had entered. The contact watched as she left, turning back to her table as soon as the door shut. Taking a swig from her tankard, she placed it back down on the wooden surface, trying to figure out a way to deal with her new problem.

"_What the hell have you done, Talon?_"

Before...

Finn led Talon into the large room filled with beds, instantly capturing the attention of other Blood Ring affiliates. Every inhabitant of the boys' quarters was a teenager, all of different races. This was a treat for Talon since he hardly ever saw any of these races as adolescents.

"New guy" Finn informed them, getting most of them to turn away whilst others kept their eyes on him.

"Do they usually act this way to new recruits?" Talon asked, trying not to make eye contact with anybody unfamiliar.

"Give it a couple of days, introduce yourself, finish your training with Dana and you'll fit right in" Finn reassured him as they approach a couple of beds near the end of the room.

"We have a simple first-come, first-served policy. Pick any bed you want and hit the hay" Finn explained, sitting down on one of the beds and carelessly leaning back to rest his head on the pillow. Talon chose the next bed along and did the same, enjoying how comfortable it was. Much better than the tree from the night before. Placing his hand behind his head, he let out a sigh. This was easily noticed by Finn.

"Something wrong?" he asked, sitting up in his bed to look at the newcomer.

"I'm fine" he replied not very confidently, effortlessly caught out by the teenage Redguard.

"Did Dana give you a scare?" he asked again, this time putting on a grin. Talon chuckled at Finn's correct assumption.

"Don't worry about her. She'll get over it soon enough" Finn bolstered. Talon sat up, now at eye level with Finn.

"What's her problem? I didn't do anything to her" Talon pondered, earning another chuckle from Finn as he lay back down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling.

"It's not you she's pissed at. She's been like this ever since..." he paused, his previously amused expression turning more humorless and solemn. Talon frowned at this.

"What happened?" he asked, wondering why Finn's mood had changed so drastically. The teenage Redguard sighed. He had the right to know why Dana was treating him like crap.

"Look, before I tell you, Dana can never know I told you this. If she finds out, she'll string me up. Okay?" he asked, almost scaring Talon.

"Sure. I promise" he answered. Finn took in a deep breath, hinting that what he was about to say would be difficult to reveal.

"Dana's been here her whole life. Her parents met and raised her here when she was born" he began, already intriguing Talon.

"Go on" he insisted.  
"When she was a toddler, her parents were sent out to ambush a cart supposedly transporting rare Cyrodilic weapons to the Imperial headquarters in Solitude" Finn continued, coaxing Talon to nod with interest.

"What happened?" he asked, thinking that things would soon go downhill. He had no idea how right he was.

"They stopped the cart, but it wasn't filled with weapons. It was filled with Imperial soldiers. Dana's parents had massacred a couple of their camps about a week before and they'd set a trap for them" Finn continued gravely.

"Fuck" Talon uttered in surprise.

"Exactly. The Blood Ring heard a report saying that they had been taken prisoner by High King Torygg, so they sent a party of spies to go and rescue them. Unfortunately, they got there just in time" Finn continued, his tone turning deep and depressing. Talon's eyebrows dropped, put off by the way Finn had used the term 'unfortunately'.

"In time for what?" he asked, fearing the answer.

"The execution" Finn answered gravely, causing Talon to freeze. His mouth hung open, aghast by the outcome of Finn's explanation. It was no wonder Dana had not taken a liking to him. If that had happened to his family, he would have been the same way.

"What should I do?" he asked, looking back up at Finn as he lay back down on his bed.

"Just try not to get on her bad side. She's made enough enemies" he finished, rolling over onto his side. Talon sighed and lay down, staring up at the stone ceiling as he went over the choices he had made that day. Would he come to regret them? Who knew?

**A/N: More coming soon.**

**Dana – created by me.**

**Finn – created by me.**

**Ailios – created by iGaMzEeX.**

**Aerin – created by Sweetyruby.**

**Shaylan – created by MustacheLady.**

**Laters**

**-7**


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